Last week we talked about why confronting and correcting a failure in accountability is so critical. Without accountability, there is no high performance, there is no positive change, there is no growth in a team’s capabilities. We also examined a number of reasons people give for why they should not be held accountable: circumstances have changed; I didn’t understand or agree; others I rely upon didn’t deliver; I have too much on my plate, etc.
Over the next couple of columns we’ll talk about how to address all of these and how to commit once again to deliver and be held accountable. A leader must deal with WHY there has been a failure to deliver against commitments. When people give a reason for their lack of accountability, it is not enough to simply call people out and say “do better.” It may feel good, but it won’t change anything. Every reason given for a failure of accountability needs to be examined and worked through so people can recommit and get back on the right track. If the “why” of the failure is not understood, an organization will not learn from its mistakes, or correct its behavior, or improve its performance, or deliver against more difficult or complex commitments next time.