February 2009

Sticking to an exercise program is a challenge for many of us. Find out how Paris (no, not the Hilton kind) is helping me get my workouts done.

Warm regards,

Karole Sutherland

My Parisian workouts

With my personal trainer in Paris for 2 months I have gained a whole new perspective on accountability. Exercise is one of those great ideas that many of us have and few of us follow through on consistently. I’m sure that in gyms around the country the sudden surge in membership experienced in January has settled back to normal levels much to the relief of the ‘regulars’. With my trainer away what was going to keep me on track with my daily workouts? Well as it turns out, a weekly email.

I have tried many different approaches to exercise so it is with some surprise that I find an email is ensuring I do my workouts. That’s what had me so puzzled. What is it about the weekly report of my progress that has me honouring my accountability?

The American Society for Training and Development is credited with the explanation of the impact of personal accountability on the likelihood of achieving a goal:

• Hear an idea 10%
• Consciously decide to adopt an idea 25%
• Decide when you will do it 40%
• Plan how you will do it 50%
• Commit to someone else that you'll do it 65%
• Have an accountability appointment with someone to follow up on your commitment 95%

It’s this personal commitment that seems to be the factor that makes accountability successful. This is how organizations such as Weight Watchers and Alcoholics Anonymous achieve results for the complex issues they address. They incorporate frequent meetings and personal interaction that helps foster accountability as well as the knowledge that someone cares if you follow through on your commitments.

And that’s exactly what’s happening for me – I know I have to report my progress to someone with whom I have a relationship, someone who has an interest in whether I achieve my goals and someone I don’t want to let down.

The translation to work and our teams seems fairly simple on the surface but is more difficult in practice. Accountability is about delivering on promises. It is as much a culture as it is a set of processes that supports individuals and teams to meet their commitments. Just as individuals must have the expertise and tools to meet their objectives they also need to have input into their goals and the chance to learn from mistakes without fear of reprisal. My accountability with my trainer works because I know she is supportive of my overall goals and not focused solely on the number of sets I complete or the length of my cardio workouts. Accountability for results over which I have control, goals which are meaningful to me and having the support of someone I trust creates feelings of ownership that ensures success.

What could you do to create a climate of accountability at work?

Ideas you can use

Encourage individual accountability; emphasize team responsibility When a team is responsible for an outcome, accountability works best when targets are broken down to the level of the individual. Success is the result of collaboration, cooperation and communication amongst the individuals on the team who take accountability for completing their own tasks. The person responsible for the activity must have some control over the outcome as well as the needed capability and resources. It’s also important that everyone understands how their piece fits into the whole and the linkage to the overall business goal. Accountability thrives when practiced in a partnership which provides support, encouragement and feedback. When everyone on the team is confident that others will do their part, responsibility and commitment increase. The best teams hold themselves mutually accountable built on a foundation of individual commitments and promises kept.

Make accountabilities actionable Vague outcomes and lack of clarity about what must be accomplished are sure-fire ways to get dismal results. To make accountability work we need to know what ‘done’ looks like. My trainer gave me a comprehensive set of workouts for each of the 8 weeks she is away and we went through them together to make sure I was clear on the difference between a head bonk and a triceps extension. I know what success looks like making accountability easier to achieve.

Ensure follow through Frequent check-ins have lots of benefits. Not only does it help set priorities, it also enables the whole team to benefit from the ‘wisdom in the room’. Most organizations use template reports or team meetings to review the status of projects. A unique approach by a software company is the use of an internal blog on which team members post updates of their progress. The blog enables the group to share successes, ask for help, contribute expertise and alert the team to potential challenges. Since starting the blog all of the projects using this method have been completed ahead of schedule. Another benefit of follow up is the opportunity for team members to hold each other accountable for results and identify performance issues which impact the team’s ability to achieve their goals. High performing teams embrace accountability knowing that it’s not about assigning blame, but about resolving issues that impede results.

What are you doing to model accountability? Does your team know they have your support and encouragement to do what they said they were going to do?

About the Sutherland Consulting Group
The Sutherland Consulting Group helps leaders create teams that get results by showing them how to leverage their personal strengths and the expertise of their team to improve collaboration, decision making and communication. We specialize in developing great teams and outstanding leaders.

Call us: 604.788.9145
Email: info@sutherlandconsulting.com
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