Let’s face it cultivating accountability in others can seem like a daunting task.\u00a0Just hearing the word accountability can give the majority of us an ugh feeling. \u00a0What usually pops into mind are the words babysitter or micro-manager from past failed attempts at trying to get others to be accountable.<\/p>\n
Cultivating accountability in others is worth the effort!\u00a0–\u00a0Individual, team and practice performance all dwindle when there is a lack of accountability. \u00a0Without accountability, execution suffers. \u00a0Our performance\u00a0deteriorates\u00a0when we don’t hold ourselves accountable to getting work done well and on time. The more we let things slip the more acceptable it becomes to let them slip again. \u00a0A day becomes a week, a week a month and finally not at all.<\/p>\n
For example exercising. \u00a0We start out committed and then make an excuse that we are to tired, to busy or to something to fit it in that day. \u00a0It becomes easier and easier to make excuses until finally we no longer need excuses we just stop exercising.<\/p>\n
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When we aren’t accountable, we not only impact our performance we also impact the performance of others. Our delay becomes our team’s delay. Their work gets derailed which then\u00a0affects patient experience and practice performance. \u00a0Lack of accountability is contagious in a team, a department and a practice. \u00a0One excuse begets another. Tolerating missed deadlines, running over and unfinished work have the tendency to make the lack of accountability acceptable. \u00a0People learn that the real deadline is a week from the requested one; patients come late because they know that running 15 minutes late is the norm; sub-par work is acceptable in the interest of “getting it done”!<\/p>\n
The awesome news is we don’t have to be a babysitter or a micro-manager to cultivate accountability in others when we practice the following methods.<\/p>\n
Model the Waddle\u00a0– In other words, lead by example.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>If you want others around you to be accountable you need to be accountable. \u00a0Do what you said, when you said and how you said you would do it. \u00a0Be transparent with those who you have made a commitment. \u00a0Keep them informed if an obstacle prevents you from achieving your commitment. \u00a0It builds trust when we are honest and transparent. \u00a0In high-trust cultures, people focus on the solution instead of blaming others. Always own your results instead of blaming circumstances or other people.<\/p>\n Give praise and show appreciation to build confidence.<\/strong> A person with low self-confidence from bad past experiences may fear accountability. \u00a0Their fears sabotages accountability.\u00a0Fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, fear of not being liked or accepted, fear of judgement and criticism, fear of not being able to handle the situation; in essence, simply fear of “What if “!\u00a0 A\u00a0confident person has the perseverance to get up and try again if things go wrong.\u00a0So give praise and show appreciation, to build up confidence in your staff, so your team isn’t afraid to be accountable for things.<\/p>\n