Colorado River below the reservoir. Facing the threat of an overtopping situation, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and dam managers opened the spillway tunnels to allow as much water through as possible. At the same time, they extended the height of the dam by installing plywood flashboards to increase reservoir holding capacity. As the water continued to rise, the crew at Glen Canyon Dam began to feel vibrations that turned into rumblings, and eventually becoming loud barrages, like a salvo of exploding military shells. The new spillways were failing quite dramatically, as the water rushing through had torn the interior cement walls, throwing rubble and debris out the other end of the dam, into the Colorado River. Had the dam completely failed, the sudden release of over 27 million acre feet of water would have been catastrophic for down-river systems, other dams, and residential areas. Fast action from engineers who constructed the emergency walls helped avert a disaster.
Plywood walls will not prevent the collapse of productivity on teams, but leaders who skillfully engineer teams and individuals to account for activities and accept responsibility can avoid some major productivity problems. By having a strong, transparent framework for regular two-way communication about task or project scope, timelines, and resources, a manager is more likely to keep employees engaged and in flow.
Leaders who Drive for Results manage the tension between inspecting the daily or weekly execution of project plans and giving autonomy to team members to fully inspect their own work, stepping up to project completion. Individuals may require differing levels of supervision, but the accountability framework for all employees becomes stronger the more managers empower others to make decisions and drive results for themselves.
The pitfalls that can exist when teams and individuals are not accountable for owning projects, or executing steps to completion, can be expressed in a comical report about four people named Everybody, Anybody, Somebody, and Nobody.
There was an important project, and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Holding others accountable is an essential practice for leaders who expect to achieve results, but also for peers and coworkers. However, whether you hold yourself accountable can motivate or demotivate others to make and keep commitments. Managers who hold employees accountable but neglect to hold themselves accountable can derail team or individual motivation needed to drive projects to completion.
People are naturally more inclined to be accountable when united with the manager by a clear vision of the results and potential impact of their contributions. By first inspiring others to see the bigger picture, leaders may participate in creating urgency, energy, and focus to also ensure that results are achieved on schedule and with quality. Leaders should hold themselves accountable for painting that picture. Otherwise, employees who know the task, but not the purpose, may be indifferent to project expectations and timelines driven from the top. Inspiring employees to personally invest in the success of new initiatives often can be achieved by including them, even in little ways, in the decision-making process and in establishing expectations and timelines.
At its core, accountability is about integrity. A chief executive officer (CEO) was getting ready to retire in six months and needed to find a successor. The organization would typically go outside of the organization to bring in a new CEO. But he decided he was going to promote from within; he wanted to give his young executives the opportunity. He gathered them together in the boardroom and said, “I'm going to give one of you the opportunity to be the next CEO.” Jim, a young vice president who had been diligently working his way up the corporate ladder, was sitting in the back of the room excited by the news!
The CEO could see the group getting eager and said, “Not so fast. I'm going to give you a project first. You're going to work on it for six months, and then we're going to come back together, and I'm going to see how well you've accomplished the project.”
The CEO left the room for a moment and returned with a handful of seeds. He gave each executive in the room one seed and explained, “I want you to take this home and plant it. I want you to water it and take great care of it. In six months, we're going to come back together and look at your progress.”
Jim went home that afternoon and anxiously told his wife the whole story. When he finished explaining he asked her, “Don't you have a friend that owns a nursery?” To which she replied, “Yes, I do.” He said, “Let's go visit her.”
Together, they went to the nursery where their friend gave them all her best suggestions for growing the plant. They bought the best soil and compost, a pot to put it in with good drainage, and she helped them decide the exact spot by a window that would provide the best light. After returning home, Jim planted the seed.
A few weeks passed, and nothing at all had changed with the seed. Frustrated, Jim exclaimed, “I don't think your friend knows what she's talking about!” His wife responded, “Let's give it some more time.” A few more fretful weeks went by and still nothing!
So, Jim got on the computer and searched for other nurseries and advice on germination and growing plants. He found a very expensive specialty organization based in another country, and he imported new soil and new fertilizer to transplant his seed. A few more weeks went by and still nothing! By that point, everyone at the office was bragging about how great their plants looked, and he was feeling very discouraged.
The 6-month check-in meeting arrived, and it was time for the evaluation. Poor Jim did not get a single sprout. He took his plant – his pot filled with soil – to the office and tried to hide it in the back corner, behind all the other beautiful, healthy plants. The CEO walked into the boardroom and started looking at each potted plant. “Wow! These are amazing. Look at how big that one is! Impressive! Who did this one?”
He spotted Jim's pot in the very back with nothing but dirt and asked, “Who's plant is this?” Hesitantly, yet clearly, Jim stepped forward and said, “That would be me. That's my plant.” Sternly, the CEO replied, “Jim, I need you to come up here.” Jim walked up to the front of the boardroom with his empty pot, and he could feel his face turn red. His pulse pounded in his ears. The CEO then asked, “What happened?”
Jim despondently explained, “I don't know. I tried so hard. My wife has a friend who owns a nursery. We followed her advice. I even bought exotic soil and fertilizer that was shipped to me from another country. I tried everything and got nothing. I'm very sorry I failed.”
At that moment, the CEO turned him around to the group and declared, “Ladies and gentlemen, your next CEO!” A collective gasp went out as Jim's peers were shocked. “What! Why? Because he said he failed? Okay, well I failed before,” one of his coworkers responded.
The CEO explained, “No. That's not why. It's because six months ago, when we first came together, I handed each of you a boiled seed. None of you should have been able to grow a plant from the seed I gave you. Jim was the only one who chose to do the right thing even if it cost him a promotion. That's the kind of person I want to lead this organization.”
When you sow honesty with accountability, you will reap prosperity.
Many leaders cite a lack of accountability among their staff members and direct reports as a key issue affecting their organization. Poor accountability is often triggered by lack of clear expectations and roles. As the leader, it is your responsibility to communicate roles and desired outcomes. Help others accept responsibility by communicating with them, not to them.
How Do You Ensure Accountability?
Start by answering these questions. Do all projects and initiatives have:
● A goal – what does winning look like?
● One clear owner?
● A project plan with dates, deliverables, and a point person for each deliverable?
● A standard check-in process for deliverables?
Holding yourself accountable as the leader can help you achieve results besides demonstrating your