Accountability in Teams: What holds us back?

Musings 1 Minute

I remember working on a critical project along with a good team. Our roles were clearly outlined, we supported each other and enjoyed working together. Yet, our manager struggled with some of the project deliverables. She would get frustrated having to be the one to always hold up the standards.

As I reflect, I see a clear challenge in the team, ‘lack of accountability’. Accountability has several aspects; it is about every member in the team

  1. Understanding what’s expected of him / her
  2. Taking accountability for his / her deliverable
  3. Taking ownership of the common goal, not just his / her part
  4. Holding each other accountable for the common goal

As a team, we were good at the first three, however we were really bad on the fourth one – holding each other accountable. Even when we saw another team member making mistakes or not meeting the standards, we would stay silent. We were missing the most critical aspect of accountability.

In the paper ‘The Best Teams Hold Themselves Accountable’ HBR May 2014, Joseph Grenny says:

  • In weakest teams, there is no accountability
  • In mediocre teams, managers are the source of accountability
  • In high performing teams, peers manage the vast majority of performance problems with one another

So, what holds us back from holding others accountable?

  • Belief that it’s not our responsibility
  • Perceived power imbalance
  • Desire to avoid unpleasant feelings or confrontation
  • Personal likeability, not wanting to negatively impact relationship
  • Fear of retaliation or being judged
  • Not knowing how to approach
  • Past negative experience

Question to reflect:

  • What stops me from holding others accountable in my team?
  • What can I do differently?
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Published by Padma Rajeswari

At the outset, I would like to thank you for stopping by my Blog. I believe that there is nothing right or wrong in this world. What’s right in this moment and context may be wrong in another moment and context. This belief has inspired me to name my blog ‘Perspectives’. Perspectives is a platform for me to share my experiences, thoughts and perspectives on various subjects. You may have a different point of view. I look forward to hearing them, these are the triggers for rich and deep conversations. On personal front, I live in Mumbai, India. I love to read; Somerset Maugham and Nevil Shute are my favorite authors. My favorite books are The Razor’s Edge, Mrs. Craddock, Chequer Board and Gone with the Wind. I am thankful to my father who inculcated the habit of reading in me early on. I am also passionate about traveling, I have been to most parts of India and to several countries across the globe. On professional front, I work in Human Resources function. Over two and half decades, I have worked across multiple industries and cultures. I focus on Leadership Development, Talent Management, Visioning and Culture, Large-scale change, Employee Listening & Engagement, Employee Well-being, Inclusive work culture, HR effectiveness, Behavior and Mind-set shifts through sustained interventions I currently lead Organization Effectiveness Function for Aditya Birla Group, a $44.3 billion conglomerate with 120000 employees across 35 countries. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading my blog. I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions. Thank you!

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