Meat In The Sandwich
When you are making a sandwich, it is usually defined by what is in the middle of it, for example a chicken sandwich, egg sandwich or beef sandwich. In workplaces roles and positions are defined in various ways to help people get clarity around what they are employed to achieve. Ultimately though, a person's position and their performance only count if they actually do what they are there to do. A job description can define what a person is meant to do. KPA’s and KPI’s can show how performance in a role will be measured. Where many businesses fall short is in how someone will receive feedback and be held accountable.
It is no surprise then, that in many of the management business models one of the most common factors, when discussing productivity and engagement, is accountability. Two of the models I refer to a lot in training are Patrick Lencioni’s ‘Five Dysfunctions of a Team’ and the OAR/BED model. There are also the ‘4 steps’, the ‘3C’s’ the ‘5 C’s’ and the ‘3 A’s’ to name a few.
Accountability usually has 2 logical parts to it. There is corporate accountability and personal accountability. If either of these is lacking inevitably, a lack of follow-through and the slow degradation of trust in a team will plague an organisation. In the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the central layer Patrick Lencioni identifies as causing a team to be dysfunctional is the lack of accountability. People know what they should do and when they do not do it they are not held accountable. I have seen this often in company meetings, where there is a review of the actions agreed in the previous meeting and people give excuses like “I was too busy”, “I am still waiting on information”, “I haven't got to that yet”. When management fails to ensure roles, tasks and actions are clear and prioritised then it is easy to get stuck in a Deja vu meeting loop. Same meeting, same conversations and excuses, different day. It is management’s responsibility to ensure the team is clear on what needs to be done, by when and what priority the task holds.
The other part is the personal accountability an individual takes. We often refer to “putting your hand up” as a symbolism for taking ownership and accountability for a task. When a role is clearly defined then an individual can take ownership of that role. A key part of role clarity is knowing what the role is there to achieve, i.e. What is the person accountable for doing? When both of these factors are clear then, and only then, can an individual take full responsibility for delivering the required outcomes.
Is every member on your team aware of what is required from them? If they do not deliver do you have an effective feedback loop that looks to help them, to understand why they might not have delivered? Do you offer training, coaching and provide what they need to be effective? Do you have a scoreboard so they know if they are winning and can redirect their activities and energy to get a more desirable outcome? Many businesses know they could do better at holding themselves and their team to account - Is this something you need to act on today?
