Firstly, in most organizations we have worked with there is no shared understanding of what it is to be accountable. Mostly we hear people speak about roles and responsibilities and accountabilities using these words interchangeably. The bottom line is the focus is on activity, "just doing my job", "as long as I keep my boss happy, everything is fine".
We have yet to see a network of relationships structured around who is accountable to whom, for what specific desired results, in what time frame. A network of relationships with a set of structures, agreements and disciplines around interacting, dealing with breakdowns, handling conflicts and celebrating accomplishments.
Instead we have who reports to whom, organized by function, with tenure, hierarchy and task as the organizing principles. We have task assignments with goals - much more an activity plan than a set of accountabilities. And we have incrementally extend/improve the level of past performance as another organizing principle.
Individuals and teams thrive and grow on relationships, on challenges, on the opportunity to "go where no one has gone before". Leaders need to challenge their people if they are to stand any chance of unleashing creativity, energy, collaboration - and have any chance of breaking out of business-as-usual.
So first off, create a culture in which accountability is understood by everyone. A culture in which an observable characteristic is that everyone is in a network of relationships based on who is accountable to whom, for what, by when.
Second design accountabilities in such a way that a significant percentage of each person's set of outcomes to produce requires/calls for personal growth and development, new learning and new levels of relating to colleagues and customers.
If this is not in place, people have no room to grow and neither does the organization.
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