Accountability at Work Creating a Culture of Ownership

Accountability at Work Creating a Culture of Ownership and Responsibility Supplemental Self-Study Presentation

Accountability at Work Overview

Accountability at Work Introduction Picture a workplace where mistrust is the norm, employees are concerned with protecting their reputations, and teams seek to defend their “turf” and often fail to keep their promises. A Gallup poll estimates that the cost of lost productivity from unaccountable and disengaged employees is between $287 and $370 billion per yeari. Now, picture a workplace where trust is unquestioned, commitments are clear, personal responsibility is high, people take ownership of problems, and mistakes are treated as opportunities to improve rather than reasons to blame. These conditions are the cornerstone of a positive work environment.

Accountability at Work Introduction Part 2 Benefits of Accountability A workplace with high accountability breeds: • Increased efficiency and productivity • More participation and involvement • Increased feelings of competency • Increased sense of commitment • Higher morale and satisfaction “A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make. ” —Denis Waitley, author and coach

Accountability at Work Module 1: Introduction to Accountability

Accountability at Work Start with a Common Understanding The term “accountability” can have positive and negative connotations. Throughout this course, we’ll look at accountability in two ways—personal and mutual—both with a positive focus. Mutual accountability: Counting on one another to keep commitments and agreements. This is accomplished primarily through accountability agreements both within teams (intra-team) and between teams (inter-team). This is task-related accountability. Personal accountability: Taking responsibility for the consequences and outcomes of your choices and actions. This is accomplished primarily by building trust, seeking feedback and learning from mistakes. This is behavior-related accountability. Goal of accountability: To take actions that are consistent with your desired results.

Accountability at Work Areas of Accountability is not about creating more work for everyone. It’s important to focus your accountability efforts on the areas that are most important for organizational and individual success. Creating and maintaining accountability agreements takes a lot of work and energy. How do you decide where to focus your attention? Consider these areas: organizational goals and values, critical responsibilities, and frequent responsibilities. Organizational Goals and Values • An organization’s goals are the performance expectations that support the company’s purpose/mission. Set clear expectations for individual employee responsibilities and how they are tied to organizational goals. Expectations are often in the form of a job description or annual performance goals. • An organization’s values are the specific behaviors that support the desired company culture. Some companies have stated values, while others have unstated values. – Caveat: Some organizations have norms that contradict their stated values. In this case, it will be difficult to hold employees accountable for positive behaviors when other behaviors are what actually get rewarded. Example: Organizations that include collaboration as a stated value but reward individual achievement.

Accountability at Work Areas of Accountability Part 2 Critical Responsibilities Critical responsibilities are the issues/tasks where the stakes are high or rather, where there is a great deal of risk or visibility if performance falls short. Legal, safety, health, and customer issues fall into this category. Frequent Responsibilities Frequent responsibilities are the tasks that are a regular part of an employee’s output (i. e. the tangible activities of an employee’s work, such as making sales, solving customers’ problems, analyzing data, etc. ). When considering this area of accountability, it is helpful to engage those responsible in developing performance standards. They know what matters most, and it builds sense of ownership and buy-in.

Accountability at Work Accountability at Your Organization Listen to the casual conversations employees in your organization have about work. What is the primary focus? Complaining and blaming? Or identifying priorities and problem solving? Bottom line: An organization practicing accountability focuses more on the activities that achieve results than spending time pointing fingers and criticizing others. Lack of Accountability – Signs and Symptoms • Missing deadlines • Making excuses • Complaining • Blaming others for mistakes and problems • Lack of communication • Mistrust among team members, colleagues, and management • Rework/additional work

Accountability at Work Accountability at Your Organization Part 2 Is Your Organization Practicing Accountability? Consider whether each statement in the below table represents your organization. If you answer “yes” more often than “no, ” this suggests accountability is ingrained in your organization’s processes and habits. On the other hand, if you answer “no” more often than “yes, ” this suggests your organization may lack basic accountability practices and has much room for improvement. Employees in my organization have a clear sense of what results are expected of them. Employees do not feel pressure or uncertainty from competing priorities. Employees in their respective teams actively work to share information and collaborate with one another. Conflicts are addressed in a forthright manner and resolved productively. Clear standards of behavior are established and openly communicated. Employees are held to these standards on a consistent basis.

Accountability at Work Obstacles to Accountability Obviously, if accountability were easy or prevalent, we wouldn’t need training. Here are the most common obstacles to achieving accountability. Attitude Obstacles By attitude obstacles, we mean a frame of mind that hinders accountability. • Learned helplessness: This is a concept that was developed and studied by Martin Seligman, professor at the University of Pennsylvania. It is a perceived absence of control over a situation or underestimating your own ability to influence a situation. When people have experienced failure or poor performance repeatedly, some will eventually believe there is nothing they can do to improve the situation. • Victim mentality: A belief that you’re the victim of negative intentions and the actions of others, even in the absence of evidence. People with this attitude will blame others or be unwilling to take responsibility for a situation they’ve created or contributed to.

Accountability at Work Obstacles to Accountability Part 2 Organization Obstacles By organization obstacles, we mean the company culture you work in. • Unclear or competing priorities: If you don’t know what is most important to achieve, it is difficult to know what to be accountable for. • Silo mentality: An ingrained culture that condones or even fosters competition between departments or units; this kind of culture does not value collaboration. • Conflict avoidance: A work environment that fears addressing conflict. Superficial unity and harmony is valued more than true consensus. Note: We will look at strategies for how to overcome these obstacles in the modules that follow.

Accountability at Work Test Your Knowledge Read the question, then click on the answer. Which of the following describes learned helplessness? A. An ingrained culture that condones or fosters competition between teams B. An environment that fears addressing conflict C. Blaming others or being unwilling to take responsibility D. Perceived absence of control over a situation

Accountability at Work Module 2: Personal Accountability – Behaviors

Accountability at Work Build Trust Personal accountability is a prerequisite to mutual accountability, and trust is a prerequisite to personal accountability. Trust depends on intention, integrity, competence, and follow-through. Intention and Integrity • Intention: Having positive motivation. – What is the true outcome you are seeking? • Integrity: Acting according to your values—in other words, there is no gap between your (positive!) intention and your actions. – Do you do what you say and say what you do? Are your words and actions consistent? – Integrity means having courage to do the right thing even when it is difficult, or regardless of the consequences.

Accountability at Work Build Trust Part 2 Competence and Follow-Through • Competence: Are you capable of doing what you say you will? Realistically assess what you can do, both in terms of time and ability, and don’t make commitments you can’t keep. – To increase your competence, learn what your strengths are and lean on them. And continue learning to expand your capabilities. • Follow-through: Whether things go well or go wrong, do you follow-through, communicate, and take care of business? – Results that meet expectations: When things go as expected, that builds your credibility and makes you more trustworthy. – Results that don’t meet expectations: When things don’t go as expected, you can still build credibility and trustworthiness depending on how you handle the situation (and as long as this isn’t a regular occurrence). To build trust, own up to the problem and solve it (we will expand on this later in the course).

Accountability at Work Build Trust Part 3 Do You Build and Demonstrate Trust? Consider how well each statement in the below table represents the way you think and act. If you answer “yes” more often than “no, ” this suggests you build and demonstrate trust consistently. On the other hand, if you answer “no” more often than “yes, ” this suggests you have an opportunity to develop your trust skills in many areas. Choose one or two of the statements you answered “no” to, and work on increasing the frequency of those. I say what I mean and mean what I say. I value individual differences and treat people the way they want to be treated. I share information freely. I speak about others as if they were present. (continued onto the next slide)

Accountability at Work Build Trust Part 4 Do You Build and Demonstrate Trust? (continued) I listen to understand a situation fully before giving advice. I don’t cover up, justify, or blame when I make a mistake. I don’t simply apologize; I make amends when I make a mistake. I keep every commitment I make. I show trust to earn trust. I listen to understand a situation fully before giving advice.

Accountability at Work Seek Feedback Personal accountability is taking responsibility for the consequences of your actions. One important way to do that is to proactively seek feedback so you can change and improve. Ask for It It’s almost always easier hearing feedback when you ask for it rather than being surprised by it. • Be specific about what you want. It will be helpful to the other person to ask for feedback about a specific situation or pattern of behavior. • Be open to what you get. Assume the other person is trying to be helpful. • Listen carefully, without becoming defensive. Accept what the other person says as “true” from their perspective. Do not argue. • Ask for examples if you need clarification. • Thank them, whether or not you agree with their feedback.

Accountability at Work Seek Feedback Part 2 Decide What to Do About It After you receive feedback, you need to decide how you will respond to it. • Reflect on the feedback and how you feel about it. – If you feel defensive, try to figure out why. Usually, you feel defensive because there is some truth to the feedback. Try to assess what is accurate and what is strictly a personal opinion. – Experience your emotions and then let them go as quickly as possible. • If you recognize its validity, decide on the best way to implement it. Some feedback may be valid but difficult to act on. This occurs when the feedback is related to something out of your control, such as the overall culture of the organization. It’s not impossible, just very challenging. • When you make specific changes, let the person know how you’ve used their feedback or how their feedback was helpful. That is one way to demonstrate personal accountability.

Accountability at Work Learn from Mistakes When you ask for feedback, you are likely to expose yourself to criticism about actions you’ve taken—or not taken. Use these as opportunities to reflect and improve. Questions to Ask Yourself • What warning signs did I ignore or miss? • What would I have done differently? • What will I do differently in the future? • If I were to give someone advice in a similar situation, what would I tell them? • What have I learned?

Accountability at Work Overcome Internal Obstacles In order for employees to fully embrace personal accountability, they must be able to overcome internal obstacles. Learned Helplessness Reminder: Learned helplessness is the perceived absence of control over a situation or underestimating your own ability to influence a situation. To overcome: • Reframe. Change your perspective by explaining the event in a more positive way; for example, as a short-term event rather than a permanent situation, or as limited to one specific circumstance rather than widespread, or as something that could have happened to anyone and not just you. – Example: Instead of “My boss is out to get me. ” Say “One time in a staff meeting, my boss didn’t support me. ” “This is temporary. I’ll learn from it and move on. ”

Accountability at Work Overcome Internal Obstacles Part 2 Learned Helplessness (continued) • Identify what you can control. It’s more than you think! You can always control your own choices and responses. For example, if you work with an unpredictable boss who is sometimes nice and other times mean, you can choose to respond to him or her the same way every time rather than getting yanked around emotionally. Using a neutral response in all circumstances may even lead your boss to moderate his or her behavior. • Develop positive affirmations. They reinforce realistic thinking and develop confidence. – Example: “I speak clearly and calmly when sharing my thoughts in a meeting. ” “I am capable of handling this situation. ”

Accountability at Work Overcome Internal Obstacles Part 3 Victim Mentality Reminder: Victim mentality is a belief that you are a victim of the negative intentions and actions of others, even in the absence of evidence. To overcome: • Acknowledge what you get out of engaging in a victim mentality. Realizing there is often a short-term benefit can help you move toward a more productive long-term outlook. Here are some of the short-term benefits: – You get attention. Some people thrive on attention, even when it’s negative. – You don’t have to take risks or accept important responsibility. – You get to feel “right. ” When you feel wronged, it makes you feel “right. ”

Accountability at Work Overcome Internal Obstacles Part 4 Victim Mentality (continued) • Help someone else. Get used to not thinking about yourself so much! • Show gratitude. Realize all you have going for you. Find one thing to be grateful for each day. • Ask yourself, “What is the hidden opportunity in this situation? ” • Quit asking “why” and instead ask “how”? For example, instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me? ” ask “How can I resolve this situation? ”

Accountability at Work Test Your Knowledge Read the question, then click on the answer. Which of the following is an effective way to build trust? A. Compliment others. B. Show positive intention and integrity. C. Over-promise and under-deliver. D. Wait to show trust until it has been earned by others.

Accountability at Work Module 3: Mutual Accountability – Tasks

Accountability at Work Create a Culture of Mutual Accountability Individual employees can be committed to their own personal accountability, and yet that doesn’t guarantee that accountability will be practiced throughout an organization. To ensure that employees are committed to completing tasks collaboratively, create a culture of mutual accountability by following these five steps. 1. Establish a clear vision of the desired outcome for each group task. 2. Execute effectively by implementing accountability agreements. 3. Surface and resolve problems and conflicts, including rooting out dysfunctional habits and behaviors. 4. Practice proactive recovery when a lapse occurs. 5. Measure and recognize success. Note: In the remainder of this module we will cover the first three steps to creating a culture of mutual accountability.

Accountability at Work Establish a Clear Vision of the Desired Outcome The first step to creating a culture of mutual accountability is to establish a clear vision of the desired outcome. In order for employees to work together successfully, they must be in agreement about what they are working toward. This requires advance planning and preparation. Describe Desired Outcome • Focus more on the results you want to achieve than the process. – Sometimes the process is critical; for example, establishing consistent treatment of customers in order to improve customer service. However, in many cases the process details can vary as long as everyone is working toward the same goal (results). • Identify how success will be measured. This is often called a performance standard. Performance standards that are based on measurable data are often the most practical and easily understood by all.

Accountability at Work Establish a Clear Vision of the Desired Outcome Describe Desired Outcome (continued) To develop an effective performance standard, ask these questions: • Is quality important? Does the stakeholder (someone with a vested interest in the outcome) or customer care how well the work is done? If so, what level of quality is acceptable or desirable? • Is quantity important? Does the stakeholder or customer care how many are produced? If so, what is the target? • Is it important that the task be accomplished by a certain time or date? If so, what is the deadline? • Is it important that the task be done within certain cost limits? If so, what is the budget?

Accountability at Work Execute Effectively by Implementing Accountability Agreements The next step in achieving mutual accountability is to execute effectively by implementing accountability agreements. Accountability agreements are simply putting into writing the common expectations that have been established within a team or group. These agreements can be best captured in a table/chart format (example chart on the next slide) which identifies: • The What: describe the overall project outcome, individual task, or specific behavior the agreement is in reference to. • The Who: identify the person who is ultimately responsible for seeing “the what” through to completion/success. • The When: identify the deadline for completion or when an update on progress should be provided or (if a behavior) put into practice. • The Necessary Resources/Support: identify all the things you need to complete “the what” or achieve success; this may include people, materials, money, etc. • The Results of Non-Compliance: list the consequence(s) of not adhering to the established expectations.

Accountability at Work Example Accountability Agreement What Who Task: Update vendor information. Tammy Behavior: Be on time for team meetings. Jim When Resources/ Support Non-compliance 11/15 Jenny, Tad, accounting department Receive a “strike” (three strikes= note in file) Every meeting Electronic reminder Take meeting notes

Accountability at Work Surface and Resolve Problems and Conflicts One of the most important aspects for achieving mutual accountability is proactively surfacing and resolving problems and conflicts. This is accomplished in a variety of ways, including promoting desirable behaviors, discouraging undesirable behaviors, overcoming external obstacles, and following a standard process for conflict resolution. Promote Desirable Behaviors Promoting desirable behaviors creates an atmosphere that makes it okay to discuss problems and conflicts. These are some of the behaviors that support a healthy work environment: • Proactive and open communication • A willingness to admit mistakes • A focus on problem solving rather than blaming • Environment that makes it more important to do good than to look good

Accountability at Work Surface and Resolve Problems and Conflicts Part 2 Discourage Undesirable Behaviors Discouraging undesirable behaviors makes conversations around problems and conflicts more productive. These are some of the behaviors that undermine mutual accountability: • Fear of punishment • Unhealthy competition • Being secretive The biggest fear people have about accountability is that they will be punished for something they did or didn’t do. In that environment, employees tend to become competitive and secretive with their coworkers instead of collaborative. They feel the need to look out for themselves rather than focus on the success of the organization.

Accountability at Work Surface and Resolve Problems and Conflicts Part 3 Overcome External Obstacles As we mentioned in Module 1, organization obstacles relate to the company culture you work in. Overcoming organization obstacles removes unnecessary conflicts. • To overcome unclear or competing priorities: – Eliminate any competing requests that are unreasonable or unrealistic. – Decide which priority has the potential to create more serious negative consequences if ignored. – Decide which priority has the potential to provide the greatest gain if completed. – Communicate clearly what you are and aren’t doing once you’ve determined your priorities. Providing context helps people understand your decision.

Accountability at Work Surface and Resolve Problems and Conflicts Part 4 Overcome External Obstacles (continued) • To overcome silo mentality: – Share, don’t hoard information. – Get rid of any sense of superiority. Recognize the expertise of other individuals, teams, and units. – Consciously connect with other teams, departments, or units informally. Meet for lunch, congratulate a person or group when they’ve had a success, etc. – Create cross-functional groups and work together. • To overcome conflict avoidance: – Engage in a conflict resolution process.

Accountability at Work Surface and Resolve Problems and Conflicts Part 5 Follow a Standard Conflict Resolution Process Following a standard conflict resolution process enables everyone to “be on the same page” in terms of how to address conflict effectively. When everyone in an organization follows a similar conflict resolution process, they’re able to address issues and reach effective resolutions more easily and efficiently, minimizing lost productivity and negative feelings. • Acknowledge the conflict. • Discuss its impact on individuals and the organization. • Clarify individual positions. • Find common interests. • Negotiate an agreement based on common interests. • Create an accountability agreement to cement buy-in and commitment.

Accountability at Work Test Your Knowledge Read the question, then click on the answer. Which of the following is NOT an element of creating a culture of mutual accountability? A. Recommend employees to work on their own so only one person is responsible for each task. B. Implement accountability agreements. C. Establish a clear vision of the desired outcome. D. Practice proactive recovery when a lapse occurs.

Accountability at Work Module 4: Dealing with Broken Agreements

Accountability at Work What Can Go Wrong? Let’s face it—we don’t live and work in a perfect world. You can make your best attempt to create the conditions for accountability and yet there will still be times when accountability agreements are broken. Recognizing symptoms of a broken agreement as soon as they occur can help minimize the negative consequences. Here are some reasons why accountability agreements may be broken and their symptoms. Personal Accountability Hasn’t Been Internalized Symptoms: • Blaming others for mistakes and failures • Complaining about unfair treatment • Lack of motivation or interest in the work • Lack of caring about the success and well-being of the team

Accountability at Work What Can Go Wrong? Part 2 Mutual Accountability Hasn’t Been Firmly Established Symptoms: • Fear of speaking up about problems • Lacking trust in team members and leaders • Lacking confidence in the conflict resolution process Training Hasn’t Been Adequate Symptoms: • Missed deadlines (though this may also be a symptom of lacking motivation) • Not taking initiative or risks • Being dependent on others for instructions and/or advice

Accountability at Work What Can Go Wrong? Part 3 If any of these occur in your organization, go back and review the information in Modules 2 and 3 to see if you can pinpoint the source of the breakdown; for example, perhaps mistakes are still treated punitively, or a victim mentality remains pervasive in the organization. Consider offering a brown bag lunch session with your team to review how to implement personal and team accountability. You may also consider sending out reminders of specific techniques and steps in your company communications.

Accountability at Work The Accountability Jar This is most useful as a training strategy to get people in the habit of being accountable. Use this techniqueii when the “infraction” isn’t serious enough to warrant serious consequences. The accountability jar should be considered as a fun strategy for developing the accountability habit. Before Team Meetings Give each member of your team three slips of paper. Make sure the team leader or manager is included too. On each piece of paper, have them write down one task/activity they would like done for them (which would take no longer than one hour) or one item to purchase (which costs no more than five dollars). The tasks/activities should NOT be part of their regular job responsibilities. • Task/activity examples: Run an errand, make copies, etc. • Item examples: A specialty coffee, fun office supplies, etc.

Accountability at Work The Accountability Jar Part 2 When There Is an “Infraction” • Bring the jar to every team meeting. • If someone has neglected to keep a commitment, they draw a slip of paper from the jar and complete the request before the next meeting. • Examples of accountability lapses: Being late to a meeting, forgetting to return a phone call, not cleaning up after using the breakroom microwave, etc.

Accountability at Work Reactive Recovery When a broken accountability agreement is more serious, it needs to be addressed in a timely and effective way. The conversation will sound a lot like a regular feedback session, except that expectations have not been met and some degree of trust has been broken as a result. There are two types of conversations: one that is initiated by someone other than the person who broke the agreement (reactive recovery) and one that is initiated by the person who broke the agreement (proactive recovery). We’ll start with the more difficult scenario—reactive recovery. Steps to Reactive Recovery • Stop and think. If someone has broken an agreement affecting you, you will probably be mad, and your instinct may be to go and yell at him or her. So, stop and think about the outcome you want from the interaction before you approach the other person. • Declare your intent. Express the positive outcome you want from the meeting (if you can’t, you’re not ready to meet). • Review the agreement. Remain calm and objective (as opposed to complaining and subjective).

Accountability at Work Reactive Recovery Part 2 Steps to Reactive Recovery (continued) • Identify impacts of not meeting expectations. They may include such things as: – Quality of work – Team members’ or other stakeholders’ (colleagues, customers, vendors and suppliers, etc. ) productivity and/or ability to complete their work – Cost, time – Reputation of you, your team, your organization • Review the consequences of non-compliance. Your agreement should contain specific actions that will occur. • Discuss what the other person can do to minimize the negative impact and restore credibility and trust. – Listen for obstacles and separate valid problems from excuses. – Problem solve collaboratively. – Focus on what can be done to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Accountability at Work Reactive Recovery Part 3 Steps to Reactive Recovery (continued) Remember, this conversation shouldn’t feel disciplinary. While one person may guide the discussion, there should be a genuine dialogue where you work with the other person to identify problems or outstanding issues and what can be done to recover as gracefully as possible.

Accountability at Work Practice Proactive Recovery The second type of recovery conversation is one that is initiated by the person who broke the agreement—proactive recovery. Steps to Proactive Recovery • Apologize. Preferably in person. Whether in person or electronically, be sure to include everyone who was affected by the accountability agreement. • Identify impacts of not meeting expectations. They may include such things as: – Quality of work – Team members’ or other stakeholders’ productivity and/or ability to complete their work – Cost, time – Reputation of you, your team, your organization

Accountability at Work Practice Proactive Recovery Part 2 Steps to Proactive Recovery (continued) • Acknowledge the consequences for non-compliance stated in your agreement. And be prepared to carry them out. • Discuss what you will do to minimize the negative impact and restore credibility and trust. Focus on what you will do to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Sample Conversation: “I know I made a commitment to complete the analysis by Feb. 15, and I know that my failure to meet this agreement has resulted in delays in other people’s work, causing productivity to suffer and our department’s credibility to take a hit. I’m sorry, and in the future I will give you an update every week so that you will have confidence that I am on track. In the meantime, I will contact the other departments who are expecting the analysis and let them know it was my responsibility and my fault they didn’t receive it on time. ”

Accountability at Work Measure and Recognize Success What to Measure Taking time to measure success will help the organization modify strategies to improve adherence to accountability agreements. Measure: • Frequency that accountability agreements are used • Frequency that accountability agreements are kept or broken • Nature of agreements that are broken; for example, do they tend to be more behaviororiented or task-oriented?

Accountability at Work Measure and Recognize Success Part 2 How to Recognize Success Taking time to recognize success builds buy-in and increases motivation to continue the work necessary to complete and monitor accountability agreements. Here are some ways to recognize success: • Spread the word! Acknowledge successes within and outside your team. Consider personal, hand-written thank you notes/notes of congratulations—a novel concept nowadays! • Celebrate with food. Hold a barbecue or order a pizza at lunch, or bring some treats in to the office, such as chocolate or baked goods. • Have some fun. Organize a team outing, such as going bowling, seeing a movie, or attending a sports event. • Offer some “takeaways” – this could include t-shirts, mugs, hats, etc. • Offer time off.

Accountability at Work Test Your Knowledge Read the question, then click on the answer. Which of the following most accurately describes a reactive recovery conversation? A. A conversation whose purpose is to make the person who broke the agreement feel guilty. B. A conversation whose purpose is to tell the other person what they did wrong and why it matters. C. A two-way dialogue with the intent to help the other person find solutions to obstacles and make amends. D. A two-way dialogue with the intent to allow the person who broke the agreement to explain all the reasons why they couldn’t keep the agreement.

Accountability at Work Review

Accountability at Work CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Read the case study and answer the questions that follow in order to put your skills into practice. Organization: A chain of retail sporting goods stores People: Monica, regional manager; Connor, district manager of six stores in Monica’s region; Ryan, another district manager in Monica’s region; Suzanne and Jimmy, store managers in Connor’s district. Situation: Monica and Connor are meeting to review the sales results of the last quarter.

Accountability at Work CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Part 2 Monica: “Connor, I’m sure you are aware that the sales results for your district were below average. ” Connor: “Yes, I know. But my stores have had to deal with so many things out of their control— Roskie Manufacturing closed and 400 people lost their jobs—that’s a big part of our customer base. Then we had all those storms, and it just seemed to scare customers off. ” Monica: “I understand those are unusual events; however, that’s all the more reason to work even harder to compensate for them. Besides, other stores in my district have been affected by the same events, but their sales are at least average, if not higher. ” Connor: “So what are they doing? I’m happy to try new things. ”

Accountability at Work CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Part 3 Monica: “I’m glad to hear it. One thing Ryan has done is start using accountability agreements for tasks and behaviors he and his store managers consider most critical to success. You could get in touch with him and find out the details. In the meantime, we’ll review this quarter’s results in three months, but of course we’ll have our regular meetings before that. ” Connor: “Okay. Thanks. ” Connor contacts Ryan to discuss how he uses accountability agreements. Ryan: “I’m happy to share; they have worked really well for us. We—that is, my store managers and I—decided to focus on improving communications across stores. It seems like we should be able to remember to include everybody, but putting it in writing has really made a difference. ” Connor: “Can you show me an example? ” Ryan: “Sure; I’ll email a couple to you. ” Connor: “Thanks, Ryan. Let me know if I can help you in any way. ”

Accountability at Work CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Part 4 Connor meets with his groups of store managers. Connor: “As you know, sales in our district are below average. And I know what we’re up against —I explained that to Monica, and she understood. However, she also encouraged and challenged us to work even harder to make up for it. One idea is to establish accountability agreements to ensure that we all follow through with commitments we make to each other. I’d like to try this. Where do you think we should focus our effort? ” Suzanne: “One place I think we could really benefit from is sharing information about how to attract and keep repeat customers. I mean the ones who probably participate on a sports team or in a league and come in at least once a month for supplies—balls, socks, shoes, stuff like that. We compare notes about how we contact them and upsell them. ” Connor: “I think that’s a great place to start. Let’s draw up an agreement now. ”

Accountability at Work CASE STUDY—Apply What You’ve Learned Part 2 A month later, Connor meets with his team of store managers again. Connor: “Let’s review how we’re doing with our accountability agreement. ” Suzanne: “I don’t want to point fingers, but Jimmy hasn’t responded to my calls or emails, and I happen to know that Jimmy’s store sales are the highest in our district. ” Connor: “Jimmy? ” Jimmy: “I’ve been busy. Sales are good. What can I say? ” Connor: “It sounds like you’re unwilling to share key ideas. ” Jimmy: “Why should I when we receive bonuses based on individual store results? I don’t want anyone stealing my customers. ”

Accountability at Work CASE STUDY—Questions to Consider 1. Does Connor exhibit personal accountability? Provide evidence. 2. What obstacles are present that are preventing Connor’s team from achieving a high level of accountability? 3. How well did Connor’s team follow the 5 steps to creating a culture of mutual accountability? Which elements were present? Which were absent? 4. Connor tried to address Jimmy’s broken accountability agreement. What did he do well and what could he have done better in that reactive recovery conversation? Review the ideas and suggested answers provided on the following slides.

Accountability at Work CASE STUDY—Suggested Answers 1. Does Connor exhibit personal accountability? Provide evidence. At first, Connor doesn’t exhibit personal accountability – he blamed external events and circumstances for his situation. And he didn’t proactively seek feedback from Monica. However, he took Monica’s challenge to heart and asked for new ideas to try, and then he took steps to incorporate those ideas in his team. 2. What obstacles are present that are preventing Connor’s team from achieving a high level of accountability? Connor and his team shared an attitude of learned helplessness where they let external circumstances make them feel they had no control over their situation (under average sales). In addition, Jimmy exhibited a silo mentality when he was reluctant to share information that would help others on the team. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there seemed to be an issue of competing priorities of trying to achieve individual success versus organization success.

Accountability at Work CASE STUDY—Suggested Answers Part 2 3. How well did Connor’s team follow the 5 steps to creating a culture of mutual accountability? Which elements were present? Which were absent? • Clear vision of desired outcome: Absent – they know they want to achieve higher sales by attracting and keeping repeat customers, but they didn’t discuss any specific measurable data to determine their success. • Accountability agreement: Present – though we don’t know how well it was constructed. • Resolve problems and conflicts: Absent thus far, we did not learn whether and how Connor addresses Jimmy’s lack of caring for the success of the team. • Proactive recovery: Absent – Jimmy didn’t initiate the conversation regarding breaking his accountability agreement, nor did he apologize for it. • Measure and recognize success: Absent – there is no evidence that they were tracking the frequency or nature of broken agreements, particularly Jimmy’s actions. 4. Connor tried to address Jimmy’s broken accountability agreement. What did he do well and what could he have done better in that reactive recovery conversation? Connor didn’t seem well-equipped to guide this conversation smoothly. He probably would have benefited from learning more from Ryan about how he and his team handled situations when agreements are broken (in other words, he needed additional training).

Accountability at Work Congratulations! By now you should be able to: • Identify the benefits of accountability and the areas in which it is most important. • Recognize the components for building personal accountability. • Recognize the components for encouraging mutual accountability. • Overcome obstacles to accountability. • Engage in conversations that resolve broken agreements and lead to a greater commitment to expectations in the future.

Accountability at Work Appendix

Accountability at Work References Connors, Roger and Tom Smith. How Did That Happen: Holding People Accountable for Results the Positive, Principled Way. New York, NY: Portfolio, 2009. Connors, Roger, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman. The Oz Principle: Getting Results through Individual and Organizational Accountability. New York, NY: Portfolio, 2010. Covey, Stephen M. R. with Rebecca R. Merrill. The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything. New York, NY: Free Press, 2006. Dive, Brian. The Accountable Leader: Developing Effective Leadership Through Managerial Accountability. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page Limited, 2008. Lencioni, Patrick. Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators. San Francisco, CA: Jossey -Bass, 2005. Miller, John G. The Question Behind the Question: What to Really Ask Yourself to Eliminate Blame, Victim Thinking, Complaining, and Procrastination. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2001. “Fostering Accountability in the Workplace, ” last modified February 2013, http: //www. mswmag. com/editorial/2013/02/fostering_accountability_in_the_workplace. i ii “Team Accountability Activity: ‘The Jar, ’ http: //studentlifeguru. com/2010/07/13/accountability/.

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