Make Sure Your Team is Able Before Asking For Accountability

The Path to Shared Accountability

Read time: 3 minutes and 45 seconds

“It’s still not working” the president I was coaching lamented. My team is missing deadlines, some of the work is getting rejected by our clients, and I feel like I spend all my time managing the team. I need to be able to hold my team more accountable!”

Accountability is always to go-to for leaders, which makes sense for organizational improvement.

Yet, this is not the right starting point.

There is a myth about accountability that we need to clarify.

Leaders can unilaterally hold their team accountable for results.

Accountability within an organization needs to be a shared journey between leadership and each team member.

Hold Them Able Before Holding Them Accountable

Before we can build a culture of accountability, we need to ensure that each team member can meet the requirements.

This is not about skills or resources.

It’s about fostering an environment of trust that allows individuals to feel empowered to reach their potential.

When accountability becomes a shared journey, you are telling each team member -

“I believe in you and I know you can do this.”

How do you start this process? Here are the 3 questions to ask yourself.

  • How frequently do you assess capability before setting expectations?

  • How are you actively ensuring your team feels able and empowered?

  • Is your approach to accountability rooted in trust and a genuine belief in your team's potential?

  • Will you be able to delegate and let go so they can do the job you hired them to do?

Now onto the 7-step process to create a shared journey to hold your team able and accountable.

7 Steps to Hold Your Team Accountable

  1. Build Capability - Audit current skills and then develop training that focuses on upskilling and closing skills gaps. By investing in capability, you are laying the foundation of trust and effective accountability because the team will have the skills to meet the expectations.

  2. Check for Blind Spots

  3. Set clear expectations

  4. Promote Transparent Communication

  5. Create a Trusting Environment

  6. Celebrate Accountability

  7. Embrace Continuous Feedback

True accountability in business isn’t just about assigning responsibility or assessing performance.

It’s an affirmation of your confidence in an individual and your team’s potential.

By first holding people able before holding them accountable and making sure that have the ability to meet the expectations, you set the stage for a professional relationship rooted in trust, mutual respect, and shared growth objectives.

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