Accountability is a big buzzword in the workplace today and
even in our society in general but what does it really mean and how can we effectively
hold others accountable? And with how
busy, chaotic, and overly sensitive people seem to be these days is it really
even possible or worth it? The authors
of the book Crucial Accountability believe it is and they provide ideas and tools
that can help anyone effectively hold others accountable. Today I’d like to share just a few of my
favorite thoughts from the book.
#1 Prepare Yourself
Going in to any accountability conversation we should ask
ourselves what do I want for me, for this person, and for our relationship. Answering these questions honestly will put
us in the right frame of mind and will help use focus on what really matters
and what is really at stake. Hopefully,
we realize that almost always do we truly only want to help someone be
successful or we want to understand them better or both. When this is the case, we need to take the
risk of holding them accountable. Having
these difficult conversations can be uncomfortable but reminding ourselves what
we want for ourselves, for others, and for our relationship will help us think
through our crucial accountability discussion and push forward.
#2 Don’t start with ‘can’ start with ‘should’
Many accountability discussion never happen and the reason
is because we start with ‘can’ rather than ‘should’. We shouldn’t ask ourselves ‘how can I do
this’ but rather ‘how should I’. When
important accountability discussion do not take place we lose opportunities to
strengthen relationships and help things move forward in a positive way. The authors of the book point out that our
two favorite “silence-driving mind tricks” are (1) we down play the cost of not
speaking out and (2) we exaggerate the cost of expressing our views. Sweeping accountability discussions under the
rug by asking ‘can’ rather than ‘should’ can lead to lasting feelings of
regret, anger, frustrations, confusion, and disdain.
#3 Create Safety
Though it takes effort and patience, one point I love from
the book is the need to create safety.
When people feel safe, we can talk to anyone about anything. Letting people know you care, what your true
intentions are, what you mean and don’t mean, and what you want for them and
your relationship will help. Other
skills and techniques are given in the book to create safety which is so
important because when safety exists, difficult accountability conversations
can take place and will be effective.
#4 Clarity is Key
According to the authors, clarity is accountabilities worst
enemy. When things are unclear, it is so
hard to hold people accountable effectively because people will feel they
didn’t understand. Making sure clarity
exists as much, and as often as possible will help us have meaningful/positive
accountability discussions.
#5 Consequences Matter A lot
Consequences, or perceived consequences, drive
behavior. Often people do things because
of the consequences they see from behaving in a certain way. Being a good leader requires us to help
people see the consequences of their actions whether good or bad. Often times this requires a leader “to make
the invisible visible.” Too often in
organizations, consequences are not very clear, so if we can expand the vision
of those we lead and help them see the true consequences of certain behaviors
and actions we can help them be successful and get the right results. Those who are good at accountability are good
at showing others the consequences.
A lot of people in our society talk about accountability but
is it worth the effort? This book answers with an emphatic yes and gives us
some real tools on how to do it. Crucial Accountability is a good book that
provides many worthwhile techniques and strategies to help us communicate
better. And as we communicate more
effectively we become better leaders, influencers, and individuals.
Click here to see how I rated this book
