By Frank Sonnenberg
President Harry S. Truman famously said, “The buck stops here,” meaning he accepted full responsibility for his decisions and had no intention of shifting the blame to others. That said, many people today treat accountability like a hot potato. They seek recognition when things go well but disassociate themselves entirely when faced with setbacks. Do you accept accountability or make excuses?
If you ask for responsibility, you must be willing to be held accountable.
Why Most Accountability Falls Short
When someone grants responsibility, they’re paying you a compliment. They’re implying that they have the confidence in you to get the job done right. When you accept that challenge, you’re indicating that you’ll do everything in your power to achieve a positive outcome — and you expect to be held accountable for the results.
There are people who want no part of that. They shun accountability at every turn. In fact, some people don’t want to be evaluated. They expect to be rewarded whatever the outcome. Other folks shun accountability because they weren’t involved upfront, and think the goals are unrealistic. Others are given responsibility but told exactly what to do. They don’t think they have the freedom, much less the authority, to affect the outcome.
Most accountability falls short due to 15 factors:
Vague performance standards. Before making someone accountable, clearly define the task, the rationale, and the timetable required to complete it. Otherwise, people are left guessing.
Ambiguous expectations. Indicate how success will be measured or folks will define it for themselves.
Lack of commitment. Instead of exercising authority and control, secure commitment by involving folks in the decision-making process and obtaining mutually agreed-upon goals.
Scarce resources. Provide the resources required to get the job done right.
Low levels of trust. Instead of micromanaging everything that people do, trust them to do what’s right. Delegate authority not just tasks. And, let them choose how they’ll achieve their goals. That way there’ll be no excuses.
Lacking consistency. If priorities aren’t emphasized through consistent words and actions people will work at cross-purposes.
Forgetting your role. Don’t blur the line between being a manager and trying to be a friend.
Limited feedback. You can’t address your weaknesses if you’re blind to your flaws. Feedback enables you to learn about your shortcomings and take corrective action.
Shaming people in public. The best way to promote fear is to embarrass people in public. That said, folks should be praised in public and criticized in private.
Forgetting what’s important. As the famous cliché says, “What gets measured gets done.” So, ask yourself, “What counts that we’re not counting?”
Lacking follow-up. It’s not enough to establish goals and objectives. Progress must be evaluated on a regular basis.
Poor incentives. If you want excellence, you must recognize and reward it. Period. People stop trying when there’s no benefit for being exceptional and no consequence for being mediocre. In addition, if rewards don’t reinforce your goals, it will be difficult to keep folks on track.
Giving folks a free ride. Giving people a free pass is a recipe for disaster. It lulls them into a false sense of security and complacency.
Enabling unacceptable behavior. When poor behavior isn’t challenged, it becomes acceptable to act in an unacceptable way.
Failing to hold people accountable. Some people escape scrutiny by making excuses or casting blame. And before you know it, others follow suit.
You Are Accountable to Yourself
Some people dislike accountability because it places them front and center — setting them up to become a hero or a villain. So, they dream up a plan full of excuses to protect themselves if things go awry. The problem is that they spend more time anticipating potential failures than focusing on making the effort successful.
At the end of the day, while you may answer to others, you’re ultimately accountable to yourself. That means honoring your commitments and living up to the standards that you set for yourself. That doesn’t mean that you’ll always be successful, but at least you’ll know that you gave it your best shot. And nobody can take that away from you. When you have the courage and confidence to put yourself on the line, you will earn the trust, respect, and admiration of others. But most of all, you will earn the respect of yourself.