Bosses regularly complain to me about a lack of accountability on their team or in their org. I have to (respectfully) tell them that accountability is not a people issue, it’s a leadership issue.
Do you want more accountability on your team or in your organization? It starts with you. But it’s simple. Here’s the formula: Vision + Consistency = Accountability
Maybe you don’t think of yourself as a visionary. That’s fine. Most people are not. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a vision. You must!
When you get in your car, is there a destination? Or do you just drive and see what happens? There’s a goal. There’s a place. There’s a purpose.
That’s it. Just clearly state where you want to go. The reason for the doing.
“We are here. We are going there. The effort and excellence we give to this work is what’s getting us to our ‘there.’ Every time you [….], you are helping us do the vision. We need you. You have a part to play!”
There’s a story about President JFK and a janitor. After JFK declared that the USA would land on the moon by the end of the decade, he made a trip to NASA’s headquarters. Walking the halls, he ran into a janitor cleaning a restroom. Seizing a photo-op, JFK took a moment with the janitor, saying, “Thank you, sir, for keeping these restrooms and hallways clean for our hard-working astronauts.” The janitor didn’t miss a beat. He looked the President in his eyes and said, “With all due respect, Mr. President, I’m helping to put a man on the moon.”
Vision. The janitor was clear about the mission and his own role in making it possible. The astronauts might make more money and get more attention. But, for the janitor, every role mattered. Every role had a part in the goal—putting a man on the moon. I wish we knew that janitor’s manager. Because that individual was a great leader.
Want to see more accountability? Share the vision, clearly, and often.
Then, make sure you have an execution system in place so people are set up to do the main things in consistent ways that drive results. I recommend EOS. (Message me to learn more.)
