Processes.Most people have never been taught how to hold themselves accountable…
and it’s not their fault.
Think about it, from the time someone is four or five years old,
until they graduate from college,
they have someone –
parents, teachers, and professors –
holding them accountable.
And once they get a “real” job, it doesn’t get any better.
Most places of employment remove the need for people to think for themselves.
Instead, they have managers who “hold them accountable”
and watch their every move to ensure they are actually working.
If you want to break this cycle you’re going to need clear and specific processes designed to empower your people…
and give them their brains back.
You.There I said it.
But it needed to be said.
Back when I was constantly having to “hold my team accountable” it wasn’t their fault…
it was mine.
My actions created an environment where self-accountability wasn’t needed.
Think about it, why would someone need to hold themselves accountable (and think for themselves), when they had me doing it for them?
So if you want a self-accountable team, you have to stop trying to “hold them accountable,”
and instead give them the space and guidance they need to learn to hold themselves accountable.
Which leads to #3.
Trust.Trust is THE key ingredient in high-performance, self-accountable teams.
Each time a team member makes a commitment, a space is created.
That space rests between their commitment and the fulfillment of that commitment.
It is in this space that we have a choice…
we can fill that space with trust –
meaning we trust that the person will keep their commitment;
or we can fill the space with suspicion –
meaning we doubt the person will keep their commitment.
Our teams must understand this space.
They must understand it is their responsibility to consistently build trust by fulfilling their commitments,
and that when they do not fulfill their commitments they are creating suspicion.
Ready to STOP having to:
Do all the “important” work yourself? Babysit your team? Hold everyone accountable? Double and triple checking all their work? Beg, push, and prod just to get them to do what they’re supposed to do?On the other hand,
you can START having:
A team you can trust with any project? Freedom to spend your time in your genius zone? A team that holds themselves and their peers accountable? Full trust that your team will not only complete their work, but that they’ll go the extra mile in the process? A highly motivated team that eagerly shows up for work each day? Predictable revenue and profits?All of those are possible for you!
But here’s the key to making the transition:
If you are not intentionally building a high-performance, self-accountable culture, then you are unintentionally building a mediocre culture.It is a choice.
Which do you choose?
-wayne
