Accountability: Taking the High Road
April 2008

Accountability: Taking the High Road

"I wonder if he is still working from his old model of success even though I've asked him to give it up. It's not a bad model but we both agreed that it wouldn't suffice once the market changes next year, as we know it will. I've tried being nice, giving him more time, and encouraging him to seek outside expertise. But I don't know if I can trust him to come through. His body language says he's uncertain and he hasn't tried anything new that I can see. How do I hold him accountable for something so elusive and intangible? I can't over manage him because he's so sensitive, but once the market changes our window will close and it'll be too late."
Do you spend time ruminating like this?

Of course you do. You're human. You're trying to get things done with and through others. A wise man once told me, "People are magnificent, but they lie." What he meant, of course, is that we do not always keep our agreements. We do not always do what we said we'd do. This simple fact of organizational life is very costly. It causes confusion, frustration, wasted time, and lost customers. Most people do not have the skills or the heart to handle these scenarios with impeccability. Mediocrity occurs. It even becomes endemic and part of our culture, "I won't challenge your mediocrity if you don't call me on mine." The unspoken nasty truth, however is, "but I will talk about your shortcomings to others." So what do we do if we want to take the high road?

We examine whether or not we are making clear agreements up front. More often than not we leave things loose and undefined. We also learn how to work through our own missed agreements in a responsible manner. Often times we make excuses or blame others. And then the toughest task of all, is learning to address other people's missed agreements effectively. Too often we chicken out and under-react, or blast people with an over-reaction. Accountability is both a science and an art. You need the know how and the heart to have uncomfortable conversations about what's not working. That's why we wrote a brief pamphlet called Accountability with Heart. It covers the basics of both know how and bringing your highest intentions to the truthful discussions that build a culture of accountability. You can read this material in under thirty minutes but it will require practice to master the skills, which include:

· Making Clear Agreements
· Traditional and Empowering Accountability
· Growing through our own Failures
· Addressing Other People's Missed Agreements
· Accountability and Intangible Values
· Releasing Your Issue

You can purchase one or multiple copies on our websites Purchase Products page- at a ridiculously great price. We want you to cut the cost of confusion in your organization so you can get on with the real work of making the world a better place. If you take these ideas to heart, it will be the best investment you make this year.