The Myth of Holding Others Accountable
Tom Costello
“I’d rather have a first-rate execution and second-rate strategy any time, than a brilliant idea and mediocre management.”
– Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO JP Morgan
Much has been written on the importance of execution. As leaders, we are often measured by how well we motivate staff to keep their commitments and deliver. It makes sense then to ensure we have conversations that hold others accountable. Author of ’The ABCs of Success’, Bob Proctor calls accountability ‘the glue that ties commitment to results’ The problem, however, is traditional ways of holding others accountable don’t always work. How often have you had a conversation to hold others accountable only to realise that by the end of the conversation they don’t become more accountable … you do! In their book, Authentic Conversations, Jamie and Maren Showkeir describe this dynamic:
“The notion that you can hold other people accountable is a myth, a dangerous illusion that denies a fundamental reality of human existence. People always have a choice about their beliefs and actions. You choose to be accountable - it can’t be forced on you. When you continue to have conversations about holding others accountable, you are only perpetuating the myth and the parent-child dynamic.”
I am often asked by leaders, “How do I get people to take more accountability for delivering on their commitments?”
Burdened with a mindset of responsibility for others’ actions, our internal dialogue can take on a punitive quality slipping into internal negative thoughts of …” Here we go again, I wonder what excuses they’ll have this time” or “If I don’t chase them, nothing will get done.”
You can bet the mindset of the person you are speaking to will also have similar anticipatory thoughts…” here we go again, they’re always on my back” or “I’m dreading the conversation, they will bang on and on about how important it is for me to do these actions”. You can see the cycle … the frustrated punisher and the defensive victim. So, what can be done?
In our work with organisations, we enable leaders to experiment with a different conversation; one that supports execution through candid dialogue and enables others to learn and hold themselves accountable. In this conversation we focus on three major principles:
1. Choose a ‘Learning’ mindset
2. Ask more questions
3. Name resistance
Step 1: Choose a ‘Learning’ mindset
In any conversation about accountability, our mindset informs the way we behave. Imagine choosing a mindset that says... ‘It’s my job as a leader to help others learn and hold themselves accountable’ ‘Having rigorous, honest and candid conversations to explore commitments and actions helps others to learn and hold themselves accountable ‘As we learn together today, we create the opportunity to be more successful tomorrow’ Learning through choosing a different mindset is challenging, whether you are the person initiating the conversation, or the person on the receiving end. It takes honesty and courage to question your existing beliefs and assumptions. However, taking an honest look at how you think and behave, builds your self respect, and generates insight and self-awareness in both yourself and others. You also increase personal accountability.
Step 2: Ask more questions
If you want to create a conversation that promotes learning and insight, you need to ask purposeful questions and really listen to the answers. In our desire to want others to do things differently, we often miss the opportunity to ask more questions and generate real learning and personal insight. We use a simple yet powerful five-step process, that we call the CREATE process. It helps leaders ask questions that generate personal insight and awareness on commitments that have been made and not met. We present it here as a linear process. However, you will see from the examples in the next section that in practice, you are likely to move around the process.
The CREATE process:
C - Commitment: Commitment statement– you committed to do x, is this correct?
R - Reality: Reality needs to be acknowledged– what is the current situation?
E - Explore: Explore reality – how come it got to be that way?
A - Adapt: Adapt to the new reality – what are your insights and learning?
TE - Test: Test actions and commitment – given what we’ve learnt, what do you plan to do differently to deliver on your commitment?
Step 3: Name resistance
Resistance is a natural human response to change and is likely to show up when you have CREATE conversations because they trigger underlying fears, such as, fear of losing control or loss of status. In his book, Flawless Consulting, Peter Block describes numerous ways in which resistance shows up when people are in the process of changing patterns or habits. He highlights the importance of gently, but firmly, naming resistance as a way to explore and learn from it, rather than try to get rid of it. Let’s look at a couple of examples of the CREATE process in action and how to work with resistance.
The next time you are in a situation where you are disappointed or frustrated with a colleague who has not kept a commitment, remember the following key points:
Getting people to hold themselves to account reinforces a learning mindset
Asking questions using the CREATE process generates insight
Noticing and naming resistance is a positive step towards promoting learning and creating commitment to results.
Resources/references:
i) The ABCs of Success, Proctor B, Penguin 2019
ii) Authentic Conversations: Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment, Showkeir J and M, Berrett-Koehler 2008
iii) Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, Bossidy L and Charan R, Random House Books, 2009
Tom Costello is a founding partner with Leadership Mindset Partners. He has worked in the field of Leadership Development for over 25 years. He works internationally with senior executives from his base in Edinburgh, Scotland.