How do you balance autonomy and accountability in your program team?

Once roles and responsibilities have been established, conducting regular check-ins with your team is the next step. Regular check-ins are essential to keeping everyone informed about the program's progress and for you to receive feedback on the health of the program from each member's perspective. Having that two-way accountability can help ensure that everyone remains on track to meet their deadlines. Regular check-ins can also help you catch any issues or dependencies that might be holding up progress and help you find solutions quickly.

Once expectations are set, allow people the space to be themselves. Don’t critique their process - measure their performance. "... leaders who let their team members own their space often uncover new voices, thoughts, and perspectives that never would have emerged had they changed the work, top to bottom. It's this "difference of innovation" that allows a company to grow in new ways." https://www.inc.com/jeff-steen/why-red-line-rule-can-make-or-break-a-company.html

Encouraging open dialogue and soliciting feedback has helped me create a culture of transparency and accountability while empowering team members to take ownership of their work.

While the definition of R&R and expectations for each team, and team members is important, we should acknowledge the real possibility that depending on the organizational structure, one team member may be required to wear multiple hats. Yet, while setting clear expectations and R&R as part of the project/program documentations is a must-do, enabling teams and team members to perform in the organizational ecosystem is the challenging step that should be carefully thought, and executed.

The simplicity of a RACI chart across the programme and subsequent projects can and will ensure roles and expectations are clearly unambiguously defined. A well defined and documented RACI empowers all team members to achieve their best, and thus, add the expected result and performance value to the work they contribute to a programme.

Some PMs are dead set in their ways. There are times when I catch myself and ask, ‘Is this quality control or micro-management?’ In my experience, creating a space where it’s safe and encouraged for all team members to give feedback to the PM on what’s working, what’s not working, and their needs allows for an organically positive and productive environment. As a project manager with 17 years of experience, I still regularly learn from people who are just starting out and bringing fresh ideas.

Micromanagers can single handedly derail all positive team dynamics. Daily check-ins, the need to be involved in every meeting, or the need to call every shot are clear signs of micromanagement. Teams feel the pressure of being micromanagers. Low trust environments are slow and less productive. Micromanagers also work more to keep tabs on everything. A more effective and efficient approach is to empower direct reports to make decisions autonomously. Provide vision, goals, objectives, and guidance as needed. Let direct reports get the job done. Default to trust, not distrust.

A great practice from the context of autonomy and accountability is to set personal and professional development goals for the team. Whether by providing opportunities for training, coaching, and mentorship, or recognizing and rewarding achievements and successes. When people feel supported and valued, they are often more motivated to take on new challenges and strive for continuous improvement. Providing regular feedback on performance and growth opportunities can help individuals identify areas for improvement and where they can focus their efforts to develop new skills and enhance their knowledge. By fostering a culture of personal growth within the team, team members are empowered to take ownership.

I so value completing the feedback loop, especially in the realm of performance management. So much so, I’ve worked with our HR department to dynamically alter our performance feedback system to include feedback I’ve elicited from my team during internal meetings, check-ins, and survey reviews. While I can appreciate the MVV of an organization, my practice has been one of empowerment and building up of the workforce and attached resource managers. Ensuring my people know I have their back has dramatically increased the type of feedback I’ve received from my team. More relevant feedback on more core issues, allowing me to address more and be in a better position to remove blockers, or help manage them.

??? Fostering trust and feedback in program management involves: 1. open, honest communication, and 2. respecting everyone's inputs. Start by setting a clear vision, roles and expectations. Encourage team members to take initiative, emphasizing that mistakes are part of the learning process. Regularly hold open forums where everyone can discuss their progress, challenges, and offer solutions. Encourage constructive feedback as a way to improve, including feedback from leaders. Always acknowledge effort and successes which reinforces trust. This culture nurtures an environment where accountability exists alongside autonomy, leading to a more efficient and harmonious workplace.

It's unwise to be a one-trick pony when it comes to program leadership. Rather, you need to be adaptable and have multiple leadership approaches at your disposal. An adaptable leadership style is one that is flexible enough to enable you to give your team exactly what it needs to be successful. This means being aware of the work at hand and able to recognize what is required from you to make your team a success -- whether it's direction, coaching, or empowerment with full autonomy. Of course, all of this requires a willingness to shift your leadership style to accommodate what your program people need in different situations and at different points in time.

Adaptation can cause conflicts, especially if there are expectations that are not in-sync with the intended benefits. Adaptation is about compromise, consensus, and renewal of the end goal of the programme, no matter the need or circumstance of the change required.

??? Adapting to changing needs in program management requires flexibility. ?? Start by encouraging a culture that embraces change as a constant in project management. ?? Keep communication lines open to ensure everyone is aware of changes as they happen. ?? Use Agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban that promote adaptability by breaking down tasks into manageable pieces and regularly reassessing priorities. ?? Empower team members to make decisions within their roles, fostering autonomy while ensuring accountability. ?? Training and development opportunities can also help staff adapt to changes easier. ?? Lastly, celebrate success, even small ones, when adaptation leads to positive outcomes, thus fostering a resilient team.

Beyond celebrating the "expected" wins throughout the program, it's also important to celebrate the "unexpected" wins, which may show up when there are pleasant surprises, or more often when there are inevitable challenges throughout a project. Expressing appreciation for a team member who proactively escalates a timely issue, or celebrating how a team comes together to resolve a problem and bring the program back on track (or even improve the program going forward) reinforces that the team is a safe space for individuals to surface mistakes, be collectively accountable, and proactively work together to solve problems. This also reinforces a learning culture that can make your team more collaborative and effective.

Celebrating achievements of team, big or small, are equally important. Everyone in the team deserves to be valued and it builds trust within team. Even if someone alerts about a small risk, that must be praised as well. Appreciated person loves to give back more. Same applies to team and it keeps the productivity as well as collaborative team spirit high!

The simplest lesson I learned as a PM is to give my team all the credit for wins and take responsibility for all losses. Doing so fosters trust, encourages accountability, and enables folks to take on stretch goals. Working shouldn't just be about doing specific tasks. It should also be a learning experience, an opportunity for growth. The adage I find most fitting here is help your team grow so it can leave you, but treat them so well they won't want to.

Balancing autonomy and accountability within a program team involves empowering team members to make decisions while maintaining clear expectations and responsibility. This is achieved by setting transparent objectives and providing guidelines for decision-making. Regular communication and feedback mechanisms help monitor progress and ensure accountability. Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment where team members have the freedom to innovate and take ownership of their work, while also being answerable for their actions and outcomes. This equilibrium fosters both individual growth and collective program success.

?????? Celebrating achievements in program management boosts morale and fosters a sense of shared responsibility. It recognizes the team's hard work and reaffirms the value of their contributions. ? Make sure to tie celebrations to specific successes - a milestone reached, a problem solved, or a goal exceeded. It's a moment to reflect on what led to the success and to reinforce the behaviors you want to encourage. ?? Combined with feedback and improvement-oriented discussions, celebration offers a holistic approach to managing performance. By highlighting accomplished tasks and praising individual or team efforts, you strike a balance between autonomy and accountability, fostering a motivated, effective workforce.