What Maximizes Accountability ...

Greg Bustin is a TEC resource from Dallas who talks about creating an Accountability culture so that performance occurs almost automatically.  Too often, he says, one critical piece is missing ...

Accountability is taking personal responsibility to do what you say you’ll do within the timeframe you’ve agreed to do it. The key from a leadership standpoint is “being precise about what the result is ...what it looks like, what the measure is, and by when! AND, what the CONSEQUENCES are for  NON-PERFORMANCE! Almost ALWAYS, we fail to include this last point about Consequences. The statement doesn’t always have to be about the Consequences to the failing individual; it may be even more powerful to discuss the Consequences to the TEAM! Setting the Consequences provides awareness that performance is important, and eliminates arguments later. When you require accountability, you are living the value of Trust ... that people can count on each other to perform what they agree to do. VERY CRITICAL! 

 But observe: You as a leader can’t /don’t create accountability. You create the culture that demands it ... that each person will hold themselves accountable to perform to what they agreed. That’s the only “accountability” possible. Another can’t hold a person “accountable.” Only each person "can hold himself/herself accountable.”