Empowering Your Team Through Trust and Accountability

We’ve talked about earning others’ trust. But how do you trust in your teams’ abilities to execute and deliver on vision and strategy?

There are two main approaches to trust: Trust that is earned over time through consistent actions, and trust that is given from the outset as a default. I tend toward the latter. When I bring someone onto my team, I start from a place of assuming they're going to do what they say they're going to do.

However, it can be difficult to recover if that trust is violated. So, I believe in setting clear expectations and then holding people to them. That means being clear on consequences as well.

Here is my cheat sheet for getting us on the same page:

Set Agreed Upon Metrics

I’m a big believer in the adage, "What gets measured gets done." If you don't have a way of measuring a goal, it's highly unlikely it will happen. Create a line of sight from daily tasks to high-level priorities to help keep your team on track, because we all inevitably get pulled in different directions.

And help your team understand the "why" behind what they're being asked to do. When they have a clear understanding of this, they're ready to work in a way that supports those objectives.

Balance Accountability and Empowerment

Let's not confuse accountability with punishment. Accountability focuses on responsibility and improvement, while punishment focuses on penalizing wrongdoing.

We’ve got to have the right balance between accountability and empowerment as leaders. Set clear performance expectations, and remove barriers to their success.

Be Willing to Let Go

In The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, the authors talk about how when you have new team members, or staff are in new roles, you need to be more hands-on at first. The goal is to eventually get to a point where you can step back and delegate more, but it's a process.

So, if I'm hiring you and empowering you to accomplish what we want to accomplish, I have to be willing to let go of the reins if you don't accomplish it exactly the way I envisioned it.

In the planning phase, as a leader one of your main roles is to create a compelling vision and strategy. You need strong storytelling skills and the ability to articulate ideas in a way that resonates.

Once the project moves into execution, your focus shifts to your team's ability to deliver on the vision and strategy. You’re switching from the “why” to the “how” and the “what.” This is where the real challenge begins. Your team may be faced with responsibilities they haven't faced before, and your role changes from being the primary driver to being a coach who supports your team.

Be Clear

I haven’t always appreciated the value of clear, concise, and direct communication.

Years ago, I had an executive coach who pushed me to use the phrase "I expect" when communicating with my team. It felt so contrary to my personality at first. I thought I was already being clear, but he taught me to actually say the words "I expect" followed by whatever it was I needed to happen. It made a big difference in how people understood me.

There are other times where I don't have strong feelings about something, and in those cases, I'll take more of a coaching approach. I'll say, "Here are some things you may want to consider as you make an informed decision. I want to make sure you don't have any blind spots." But when it really matters, I make a point to clearly state "I expect," because I've seen the struggles that come from having expectations that I think I've communicated, but the other person has heard something completely different.

As an introvert, this is something I've really had to work on. I might think I've been clear, but in reality, I've only said half the story.

Ensure Understanding and Progress

In addition to guiding our teams, part of our work as leaders is identifying where exactly our teams need that guidance. Not everyone will broadcast their knowledge gaps.

If milestones are missed, it's my job to figure out why. Is it a lack of skills? Did I not communicate clearly enough? I have to get to the bottom of it and help them succeed.

This is the hard work of leadership: inspiring and motivating while also making sure everyone is aligned, contributing and delivering.