Is working on team accountability putting the cart before the horse? Is accountability the chicken or the egg, and either way, which one comes first?
In all of the work I’ve done, I’ve learned that accountability isn’t what we fix, it is what happens when we fix something deeper. In other words, accountability is the fruit and we need to address the root. If we want to reap the benefits of the fruit, we have to ensure the roots are strong and healthy.
Let me explain.
Learning from the knowledge of Patrick Lencioni, we know that the root of a strong team isn’t the fact that they are held accountable to each other and the goal, it is that they have first developed a deep sense of trust with each other.
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Source:http://platinumbusinessstrategies.com/platinum-services/5-dysfunctions-of-a-team/
According to Lencioni, if we don’t trust each other, how could we possibly experience dissent and conflict? And if we can’t fight for what we believe is right, could we really be committed to each other and the goal of the team or company? And if we aren’t committed to each other, how could we possibly hold each other accountable?
The bottom line is that we can’t.
We have to be able to build a sense of trust before anything else if we want to ensure that people can be held accountable to each other and the task at hand.
Now, recognizing that we are very much in a remote-first world, building a sense of trust isn’t like it used to be. The way I see it, trust used to be something we had to earn until we were proven untrustworthy. Today, I believe the opposite. In a remote-first world, I believe that trust has to be assumed until the individual is proven untrustworthy. No longer do we see ‘butts in seats’ or monitor the time someone is at our desks. Communication has to be stronger and clearer, and people must be given the opportunity to get their work done however best fit for them.
With that said then, try these three things to boost a sense of trust and accountability.
1. Ensure that work from home means work from anywhere
Without naming names, some companies have said that work from home doesn’t mean work from anywhere. What they’re really saying to their team is that we trust you, almost. If our team is trusted fully to get the work done and they can do just as good a job from somewhere else, why not give them the freedom to be their best?
2. Empower the team to set their own goals for the week and share them every Monday
Part of being accountable is knowing what we’re being held accountable to. Instead of just looking at the lofty quarterly or annual goals, have the team share what they’re looking to accomplish for the week ahead during a Monday morning meeting to start the week. If we vocalize our goals to the team and write them down, they have a much better chance of being completed.
3. When possible, move to results-based work and not time
Many of our jobs require calls and meetings during work hours, but a lot of the work in between might be able to be done after dinner or early in the morning. With more people working from home than ever before, new jobs like taking care of the kids and ensuring a healthy environment for our family are occupying both time and mental capacity. If we want to truly hold people accountable and give them the trust they need to get their work done, consider setting deadlines for the work that needs to be done and letting the team complete it when best for them.
In each of the three suggestions above, the goal is to build accountability across the team. A deeper look though, suggests that to boost accountability, we need to first create an environment of trust so people can do their best work how they see fit. If we can first build trust, accountability will soon follow.
Questions to ponder:
- Are we allowing our team to set their own goals in addition to what we are doing as a team?
- Are we defaulting with trust or does it have to be earned?
- Are our people able to use the space and technology at their disposal?
- Are we time-based when we can be results-based?