I'm Accountable?

When calling someone to account, we usually focus on results.? But this is literally?the last thing?we need to consider.?

We need to ask “accountable for what?” and “to whom?”

Accountability must be?appropriate to our role.? For instance, the board is accountable for protecting the interests of the shareholders and for compliance.? The chief executive is accountable for customer satisfaction, leadership and the financial return.? An employee is accountable for performing processes for specified outcomes as well as the where, when and duration.

It is imperative that accountability is clearly defined and agreed between the parties involved—as are the rewards for success and the consequences of failure.?

In any business, I think of 4 levels of accountability:

1. Values and Behaviours

Values are what matters most to a group, what they truly believe in. ?From these values/beliefs come behaviours, which make people who they are.? In the business context, it is the leader’s responsibility to create and articulate the values, with indicative behaviours.?A written statement of secular values and behaviours will lead everyone in the organisation to apply their own judgment.? Through leadership, education and discussion, ideally every person consistently displays the behaviours that match the values, has the authority to demand such behaviours from each other in the group, is able to instantly recall the values and quote the sample behaviours.?

Therefore,?everyone?is accountable to?anyone, for values and behaviours.

And in their personal lives—as a parent, partner, sibling or friend—people’s values match those in business, although they may be reflected by other, but still congruent, behaviours.

2. Systems

Systems Thinking is an approach to problem solving, viewing "problems" as parts of an overall system—rather than reacting to a specific part, outcomes or events and thereby contributing to further unfavourable consequences.?

Systems Thinking is a set of habits or practices within a framework that is based on the belief that the component parts can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation—there are integrated categories, such as: Leadership, Structure, Customer, People, Strategy, Process and Knowledge—all of which combine to produce Results.

When things go wrong, rather than blaming people or outcomes, we look at causes that have taken root in?the system. ?The business owners and leaders are accountable for designing such a system—all staff then have accountability to fit their role and responsibilities within the system.

3. Processes

Further, role deliverables are defined along with an appropriate monitoring and reporting format and schedule.? This is transitioning from the strategic system into the operational context of accountability.?

Again, rather than blaming people or an outcome, the desired approach is to look at causes that have taken root in?the process.

Leaders who feel that people or parts of their organisations are pulling in different directions can use process thinking to reunite them within the system.? The following principles are taken from the Baldrige framework, whereby process thinking:

• builds a customer focus;
• improves quality and cycle time;
• reduces costs;
• helps drive fear out of the organisation;
• promotes creative, empowered employees;
• supports strategic thinking and organisational design;
• helps optimise the entire organisation.?

When everyone knows their roles at the process level they take greater responsibility for performance.? Trust builds and blame is driven out.

4. Results

As per systems thinking, results are the?outcomes.? Therefore, the organisation needs to ensure the best possible system to produce the best possible results and every process needs to be finely tuned to achieve the best possible results.

Only then can people be fairly held accountable for results.? Again, people within the organisation can only be held accountable for results appropriate to their role.

While most organisations are held accountable for their financial performance alone, many have adopted a more comprehensive view of success—the triple bottom line: People; Planet; Profit.

Finally, none of this is possible without self-accountability.? In his book, Clear Thinking, Shane Parrish says that even things out of our control are our responsibility—we should know and accept the situation and then deal with it, without complaint.? We can’t control everything, but we can control our response to it.

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Next week: ?Books for the Leader

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About the Author

Jeff Bell?is Principal of executive consultancy ResultsWise in Perth, Western Australia.?To boost your leadership, ask Jeff about consulting, coaching, strategy facilitation, Band of Leaders Australia (BOLA) [email protected] or Advanced Leadership Course [email protected]. Mobile (61) 439 988 662.