by Mike Blevins
In two previous articles in this series, I shared with you some thoughts about a Just Culture and Discipline. I ended with the statement: People expect to be and want to be disciplined in a Just Culture. To understand this statement we need to explore accountability.
You may not be surprised to learn that I also think accountability is one of the most misused words in our language. Organizations again use the term to mean too many things. In many organizations it is the same as responsible. And in many others it means the person we are going to blame. In others it is an elusive concept that is talked about and seldom modeled. In others it’s something for everyone else, not me.
If you have heard a leader say, “If I could just get them to be accountable” then you know where the problem begins.
Accountability is one of the most powerful characteristics of a strong, high performing organization. It is self-reporting. It is self – correcting. It brings transparency. It is contagious. It builds trust. It delivers repeatable results.
The simplest definition of accountable is:
Able to account
But the power is in the accounting. In order to give a full account, the person has to know the details. They have to have been involved. They have to know what happened; what the sequence was, who else was involved; what their intent was, etc. It is not merely an organizational assignment.
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“We asked AMCA to help us with our servant leadership development strategy. They did more than nudge us along. They instilled a discipline we needed to hold ourselves accountable and to stay true to our beliefs and values during the hard times, as well as the good. They are not cheerleaders. They are wise sages and counsel, as well as friends.”