Accountability ~ Whose Job Is It Really?

When you think of the term accountability what comes to mind? Results, consequences, expectations, responsibility, controls, imposing one's position over another are often what I hear. When you ask people to be accountable and what they really want? Typical responses are, reliability, meeting deadlines and goals, rewards, meeting key performance indicators, etc. The word accountability is used in a variety of ways and traditional approaches to accountability emphasize controls.  They focus on one or more of these approaches:

Cause ~ accountability is about blame or credit.  Who is at fault or deserves rewards?

Task ~ accountability is  about assignments. Who is going to do what?

Structure ~ accountability is about reporting relationships. To whom are you accountable?

If you want compliance, focus on these three. But remember, people don't want to be told what to do. That is why these approaches often lead to defiance or detachment (and we know engagement is a huge challenge today). They do not account for the link between people's motives and their behaviors.  An accountability system won't effectively promote long-term behavior change until it is linked to personal motives.

Can we really hold people accountable?  Accountability cannot be sustainably demanded or imposed; taking accountability is a free act.  Accountability flows naturally from choice; when we make choices that are intended to produce results that are important to us, we become more accountable for our actions. Conversely, when we feel forced to act in certain ways we tend to blame others or situations when things go wrong, instead of taking accountability for our interactions. We also can't just say, " be more accountable," and expect it to work any better than saying, "be happier." If we want someone to be happier, we need to focus on what makes the happy. We need to know what motives and activities lead to their happiness. It is the same with accountability.  When people choose to take ownership, they are also more likely to take initiative. Accountability, then, is the process of taking ownership and initiative to produce results.

Applying that skill is a process that begins in the core of oneself. That core is made up of your motives and values.  Motivations give purpose and energy, while acting as filters that can narrow or expand the range of our choices.  When we embrace our power to choose, with an accurate assessment of the situation and the motives of ourselves and other people, we can make more effective choices; we can select the right strengths to deploy at the right time. This personal investment in the decision making process connects our chosen actions to our core motives and increases our sense of ownership we have for our actions and results.  Choice increases accountability.

Let's dive a bit deeper. Accountability is a skill that can be learned and developed. We are all blessed with certain strengths we bring to our everyday lives.  These strengths are our behaviors; they are the actions we choose with intent of producing results for oneself, others and the organization.  Strengths can be learned and developed.  Again, let me say, an accountability system will not effectively promote long term behavior change until it is linked to personal motives.  Motives are the missing link.  When people understand why it is important, they are more likely to take accountability for it.  When motives connect with behaviors (strengths), people take ownership and produce far more effective results.

Accountability then is about ownership and initiative. Taking ownership by connecting with your motives to give meaning to what we do.  Taking initiative by choosing the right strength at the right time to create personal responsibility. A motivational and values based perspective is highly useful for improving performance because it helps people connect their choices of current and future actions to their motivational values.  When these connections are made, people's actions are more sustainable because they see that the actions help them fulfill a motivation or purpose that is important and valuable to them.

If you want to improve your results and the quality of your workplace performance and relationships, it is essential that you make effective choices. We may not recognize all the choices available to us, but accountability flows naturally from choice. We are accountable for what we choose to do and your core is where your motives, intentions and purpose come together.  Awareness of your core and the core of others gives you an understanding of motives that enables you to use the right strengths at the right time and produce the results you want.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. How would you begin to break through and better understand your core motives, thoughts, emotions and actions tp becoming more accountable? We would love to hear from you with comments or questions. Send me a note via email at brad@aperiocoaching.net or on Twitter @bparcells.

 

15 Ideas to Gain Respect and Become an Influential Leader

Leaders must influence others in order to achieve goals, and they must gain the respect of followers in order to influence them. This is no easy task, but if you want to have the respect of your followers and become an influential leader, these simple rules will help you whether you are just beginning your leadership journey or have been leading for many years.

1. Find your style and inspire ~ One of the most important things you can do as a leader is cultivate self-awareness. Knowing your leadership style will help you to be more intentional about using it well and managing its shortcomings. Do you lead with expertise? Charisma? Caring? Armed with this awareness, you can leverage your unique style to become more influential and inspire others.

2. Demonstrate integrity ~ Nothing can ruin your influence and respect faster than a lack of integrity. Integrity, however, is not just avoiding unethical choices and situations. Integrity is intentionally molding a culture of values and service.

3. Finish your homework ~ As a leader, the more you know about what you are getting into, the more prepared you are to address it well. This could be hard data like market research, competitive analysis, and customer satisfaction trends, or informal research that comes from asking around. Leaders get informed and stay informed.

4. Invest in yourself ~  Leaders invest in learning. Grow your expertise. Get certified. Cross train. The more you know, the more you can help. The greater your competence, the more others will respect you and the effort you made to learn about what they do.

5. Manage your brand ~ Leaders understand the importance of perception. Ensure that your strengths are not being perceived negatively by asking for feedback, engaging in 360 assessments, and communicating proactively what you intend to accomplish with a particular action or question.

6. Concentrate on the future ~ A leader’s job is to interact with the future on behalf of constituents. Spend time doing things that only you can do, delegating other important areas to competent team members. Establish a vision, and keep your gaze focused on the overall goal. Resist the temptation to spend too much time solving day to day problems if they are costing you progress toward your vision.

7. Understand people personally ~ Great leaders get to know their people. What are their hobbies? What are their kids’ names? What are they good at? What motivates them? Demonstrate a genuine interest in people. Care about them. Create a culture where people feel supported personally, not just professionally.

8. Position people professionally ~ By understanding their people, leaders are better equipped to help them be successful. Put them in places that will foster professional growth and help them achieve their career goals. When people succeed in their careers and enjoy the jobs they are doing, the organization benefits in turn.

9. Praise liberally ~ When people do a good job, make sure they know it. Some will want an email, others an announcement in a meeting, still others a monetary reward. Whatever the case, if it lies within your power, grant it. There is no such thing as too much sincere appreciation for a job well done.

10. Coach and advocate ~ Help people. Be a resource, a sounding board, a safe place to talk. If you want the people you lead to respect you, they need to know you are on their side. Advocate for them; help them get the promotion they’ve been hoping for. Leverage your influence on their behalf.

11. Forge partnerships ~ Self-aware leaders understand the folly of trying to be all things to all people. It is impossible to be an expert in everything. Instead, surround yourself with people who possess qualities you lack. If you lack detail orientation, bring in someone who is organized. If you forget to ask for input at meetings, ask someone who is more naturally inclusive to bring it up.

12. Ask before telling ~ Leaders listen. Don’t assume you know the answer to a question you haven’t asked. Inform your perspective with the input of others. Invite skepticism. Only after this vetting process can you be certain you have made the right assignments or decision.

13. Anticipate and optimize ~ Always think ahead. Ask yourself: “What could go wrong here?” “What if the market changes?” “Is there anything else we can do to make success more likely?” These questions help leaders create the best possible plan. Once executed, be sure to revisit, using the feedback you gain to optimize and tweak where necessary.

14. Take risks ~ Without risk, no reward exists. Leaders take risks, but before they do, they minimize them by soliciting information and perspectives. After that, they move forward courageously, trusting themselves and their people.

15. Expect greatness ~ Never settle. Leaders persist toward perfection. They remain steadfast in the belief that our best days are ahead of us, and work toward making that true. Paint the picture of what it will look like when we get there.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Now, what is your first step in committing to becoming a more respected and influential leader? We would love to hear from you with comments or questions. Send me a note via email at brad@aperiocoaching.net or on Twitter @bparcells.

What Could Be Sidetracking Your Leadership?

There are some great movies that speak of leadership and leadership qualities we all idealize: strength, confidence, making tough decisions, vision, values driven, objective, inclusive, energetic, trusting to name a few. We want so much from our leaders that we are often disappointed.  We set the leadership bar quite high and when actions don’t meet expectations, we feel it, sense it and emote it. 

Leaders feel the pressure to maintain a strong, “have it all together” facade for credibility with employees and customers. Doing so prevents leadership awareness about unhealthy behavioral patterns and the underlying factors driving them. Here, leaders stuff down their insecurities, fears and anxieties.

What about you and your leadership patterns? When you look into a mirror, what do you see, whom do you see? Do you see a leader without failings, without regret? Do you even have the guts and self-awareness to see a true picture? How many of you have felt disappointment in your leadership? I’ll be the first to raise my hand, in fact, both hands!

In taking on our leadership roles we have the greatest of intentions. Yet, along the way, we can get sidetracked by some of the following clues:

Low self-esteem. Leaders who experience low self-esteem typically view their sense of worth coming from what others think and feel about them. As a result, they resist “the tough stuff” and their leadership role, delegating and holding themselves and others accountable.

Avoiding conflict. Self-esteem is essential for leaders to assert their thoughts, feelings and needs while welcoming others to do the same. For such leaders, conflict is a normal part of relationships. In contrast, leaders who avoid conflict at all costs, result in emotionally dishonest relationships with their team and peers. The end result is status quo thinking, compromised decision making and a false sense of team work.

People-pleasing and inability to say “no.” It’s normal for a leader to want to help peers and team members because they care about them. However, a leader who wants to be liked because their sense of self depends on it becomes too accommodating. The focus is about feeling good and seeking protection from painful realities and consequences. The thought of being rejected or abandoned by others is terrifying to one’s sense of self.

Caretaking. “Caring about” others is healthy leadership. “Caring for” is not. Engaging in leadership caretaking is about doing for the employees what they can do for themselves. Here, leaders feel responsible to take care of their problems and save them from pain. Some signs to watch out for: putting employee needs before business needs, preventing employees from growing into empowering contributors.

High need for power and control. Healthy leadership means having choices and the ability to influence one’s environment and others toward a common goal. When that need for control and power goes into over-drive it usually centers around feeling secure and safe and a sense of power over things they cannot control. I win, you lose behaviors, blaming others and stifling others ideas are telltale signs.

Boundary issues. Boundaries are critical in healthy relationships. They are like imaginary lines between you and others. Leaders with healthy boundaries know where responsibility and ownership end and begin for a problem, goal or outcome. Without “external” boundaries, a leader’s identity becomes enmeshed with others. Without “internal” boundaries, a leader will experience a lack of self-care.

Reactivity. As a consequence of poor leadership boundaries one will react to everyone’s thoughts and feelings and take responsibility for others’ emotions, yet don’t take responsibility for your own. If a peer, employee or customer says something that is upsetting, then it can be taken as a personal attack. Many times the leader goes into victim mode.

I know I have exhibited elements of these behaviors. I have worked with others to have too.  While many have exhibited the above behaviors to some extent, it is important to recognize these patterns and work with an accountability partner outside the company, such as a trusted adviser, executive coach or consultant. By addressing these leadership challenges, you’ll change your level of energy, your focus and resolve, which helps create a more healthy you and organizational culture.

What symptoms do you identify with? Which are prevalent within your organization? What is leadership costing your company?

Thank you for taking the time to read this. How would you begin to break through your thoughts, emotions and actions to becoming a more self-aware leader? We would love to hear from you with comments or questions. Send me a note via email at brad@aperiocoaching.net or on Twitter @bparcells.