Accountability in Action
Elevate the way you have accountability conversations by starting with these self-reflection questions.
READ
I asked the audience to pull out their phones and scan the QR code on the screen to submit their answer to the question, “When you hear “accountability”, what words come to mind?”
As the responses poured in, a word cloud began to form with the most frequent responses in larger text at the center of the cloud. This was the seventh time I’d facilitated my “Accountability in Action” workshop, and the 81 participants in today’s session generated the same result as all previous participants.
There, at the center of the screen, was the word “responsibility”.
Which makes sense, right? In most cases, accountability involves being responsible to someone or for something.
“Let’s do another quick poll”, I say. “By a show of hands, how many of you feel accountability is important for individual or team success?”
Every hand in the room goes up.
“Great. Let’s try another question… by a show of hands, how many of you have had an experience of holding someone accountable, or being held accountable, that for you was NOT a positive experience?”
Again, almost every hand goes up.
“So if we all agree that accountability is important, why are we not having more positive experiences during accountability conversations? That’s what we’re going to explore today.”
During our time together I offer the audience a perspective shift that changes how we approach accountability, and a framework for accountability conversations that increases the likelihood that someone will do what only they can do. We cover tools for increasing ownership, setting expectations, and offering support. Then, after sourcing different kinds of accountability conversations from the audience, participants engage in “challenge scenarios” and practice live conversations with feedback from their peers.
For the closing exercise, I stand at the front of the room holding a round makeup mirror (the kind with a 1x lens on one side, and a 5x lens on the other).
While showing the 1x side I say, “For most of today we’ve taken a closer look at accountability in the context of others.” Flipping the mirror to the 5x side I say, “As we finish our time together I invite you to take a closer look at accountability as it applies to yourself.”
I then ask the audience to close their eyes and picture looking at themselves in a mirror as they reflect on the following questions;
“What am I pretending not to know?” (credit to Susan Scott in her book Fierce Conversations)
“How consistently am I modeling the behavior I want to see?”
“What do I tend to avoid because it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable?”
“What habits support my ability to follow through?”
“What do my choices say about my priorities?”
“If someone I respect mirrored my behavior, would I be proud?”
“When am I allowing judgment to inhibit my curiosity?”
“With whom have I made an excuse in place of taking ownership?”
“What can I do right now to increase the likelihood that I’ll be more accountable in the future?
“How have I made myself proud? How have I let myself down?”
I call these “mirror questions” and they’re in the WATCH section as a video if you’d like a visual outside of this post.
Thanks for reading, and please share with anyone you feel may benefit from reading this.
WATCH
And, here’s a video short from the Coaching Culture Podcast, featuring myself with JP Nerbun, and Nate Sanderson on "Redefining Player Accountability: Strategies for Cultivating a Strong Team Culture"
LISTEN
In this How Soccer Explains Leadership podcast, hosts Paul Jobson and Phil Darke interview Margueritte Aozasa - UCLA Women’s Soccer Head Coach, former Stanford Women’s Soccer Assistant Coach, and former Santa Clara University Defender/Midfielder - about her coaching philosophy and her incredible first season at UCLA, during which she became the first coach to win a National Championship in her first year as a head coach.
THINK
"Responsibility equals accountability, accountability equals ownership, and a sense of ownership is the most powerful thing a team or organization can have."
Pat Summit
With Gratitude,
:) Betsy