Back to: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team for Leaders
Teams that commit to decisions and standards of performance do not hesitate to hold one another accountable for adhering to those decisions and standards. They don’t rely on the team leader as the primary source of accountability; they go directly to their peers.
What influences accountability on a team?
ACTIVITY: Appreciative Interviews and the Accountability Loop
- In pairs, take turns conducting interviews.
• Tell a success story about moving from the “victim loop” to the “accountability loop.”
• The focus should be on the accountable behaviors. When interviewing, listen, be curious, take notes as needed.
• As you listen to your partner, pay attention to what made the success possible. (7–10 min. each; 15–20 min. total.) - After conducting interviews in pairs, in small groups, each person retells the story of his or her pair partner.
• Listen for patterns in conditions/assets supporting success and to note them. (15 min. for small groups.) - With the whole group, collect insights and patterns for everyone to see, and summarize. Ask:
• “How are we investing in the resources and conditions that foster accountability on our team?”
• “What opportunities do we see to do more?”
Accountability Agreements
Accountability agreements clarify:
- What the team wants to do to improve some aspect of its performance?
- What each team member will do to uphold the agreement?
These agreements help the team handle issues blocking team effectiveness or impeding team growth. They require thorough discussion and consensus by all team members.
Four Principles of Accountability Agreements
- Team members agree to hold themselves accountable for keeping agreements.
- Team members agree to hold one another accountable for keeping the agreements.
- The team agrees to use regular feedback to keep themselves and others accountable.
- Team members work together to help one another fulfill the accountability agreements.
Accountability Agreement Template
Issue
Brief description of the issue for improvement.
Agreement
What team members will do to address the issue.
Clarification
List specific behaviors and actions expected of every team member.
The list can be two or three items, or more than a dozen. There should be 100% agreement by every member of the team.
Sample Accountability Agreement Issue
Issue
Handling conflicts and disagreements.
Agreement
Team members will work with one another to resolve conflicts or disagreements.
Clarification
- Talk directly to the person with whom you have the disagreement before involving the team leader.
- State your view and listen to the other’s view.
- Be willing to work toward a solution both parties can agree to.
- Don’t get other team members involved in the discussion who are not part of the conflict.
What are the top 3 ways to embrace accountability on your team?