FUNDAMENTAL #4: Embracing Accountability

When it comes to teamwork, accountability is the willingness of team members to remind one another when they are not living up to the standards of the group. It means that team members have to be willing to call each other on behavioral issues, as uncomfortable as that might be.

ACCOUNTABILITY ASSESSMENT ITEMS

• 8. Team members point out one another's unproductive behaviors.
• 16. Team members are quick to confront peers about problems in their respective areas of responsibility.
• 20. Team members question one another about their current approaches and methods.
• 21. The team ensures that poor performers feel pressure and the expectation to improve.
• 26. All members of the team are held to the same high standards.
• 35. Team members consistently follow through on promises and commitments.
• 36. Team members offer unprovoked, constructive feedback to one another.

NOTES

TEAM EFFECTIVENESS EXERCISE

Ask yourself the following questions about the ways in which the behavior of each of your team members affects the performance of the team. Write your responses in the chart below.

• What is each person's single most important behavioral characteristic or quality that contributes to the strength of our team? (That is, their strength.)
• What is each person's single most important behavioral quality that detracts from the strength of the team? (That is, their weakness or problematic behavior.)

FEEDBACK FROM MY PEERS

What one or two behaviors will you work on after the workshop?

KEY POINTS—EMBRACING ACCOUNTABILITY

• Accountability on a strong team occurs directly among peers.
• Peer pressure and the distaste of letting down a colleague will motivate a team player more than any fear of authoritative punishment or rebuke.
• For a culture of accountability to thrive, the team leader must demonstrate a willingness to confront difficult issues.

NOTES ON EMBRACING ACCOUNTABILITY