Before you can create a culture of accountability and feedback in your team, as the leader you need to go first. Why would any of your team members practice accountability or feedback amongst each other if they don't believe you will do it too.
A case study
Everyone on the team knew that Jason was a a lone wolf. He would attend meetings with his laptop on, phone active and would happily continue his work whilst the rest of the team discussed issues. Outside of the meetings, his door was closed and he frequently ignored others requests or emails. It was harming the team and performance on so many levels.
Mark, the CEO, was present at all of those meetings, yet did nothing. I questioned all team members about the biggest barrier to team success and one common factor was Jason's behaviour. I asked why no-one called him out on it. Their response was the same, "if Mark was happy for it to continue, why would I put my neck on the line?"
I questioned Jason about the issue an he admitted that he found most of the meetings boring, and a waste of time. He behaved in this way as an act of passive-aggressive protest. Rather than feeding back his frustration, he was in fact, reinforcing the issue.
It must be clear to all team members that accountability is a shared team responsibility and the leader will go first. As uncomfortable and difficult it can often be, accountability helps a team and an organization avoid far more costly and difficult situations later.
A team that fails to practice accountability harbours grudges and eventually lose respect for one another. All good will and trust gradually erode and the team becomes more dysfunctional than ever. Members would rather sit with the steady decline into dysfunction than level up and step into discomfort.
Every member of teams I work with share that they would rather know if their behaviour was negatively impacting others. They differ in how they want to receive the feedback, but everyone is alike that they want to hear it sooner rather than later. In fact, most humans, feel let down by others when they withhold information which could improve their performance and social standing.
When feedback is given clearly, with examples and evidence, it is a trust building behaviour. It is being kind to each other and shows your respect for each other. Not speaking up and addressing issues is an act of self-preservation and unkindness.
"Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind." - Brene Brown
Consider the importance of accountability from the points below and reflect on your own team:
A Team That Avoids Accountability:
- Creates resentment among team members who have different standards of performance
- Encourages mediocrity
- Misses deadlines and key deliverables
- Places an undue burden on the team leader as the sole source of discipline
A Team That Embraces Accountability:
- Ensures that poor performers feel pressure to improve
- Identifies potential problems quickly by questioning one another’s approaches without hesitation
- Establishes respect among team members who are held to the same high standards
- Avoids excessive bureaucracy around performance management and corrective action
Reflection
Do your team take accountability?
What three obstacles prevent your team from confronting one another?
Are you team more accountable for each other or themselves?
What do you consider the benefits taking accountability would bring to your team?
How does your team feel about giving feedback to each other?
List three ways you could make giving feedback easier.
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