February Read/5

Title: Winning with Accountability: The Secret Language of High-Performance Organizations

Author: Evans, Henry J.

Subjects: Organizational Effectiveness; Responsibility; Organizational Change; Strategic Planning

Call Number: 658.402 E92W 2008

ISBN: 9780981924205

Number of Pages: 102 P

Book Description:

            Success can’t happen without accountability. It is that simple. For over 10 years, Henry Evans has worked with hundreds of organizations around the world, teaching and building accountability. This book offers that same guidance to you, your colleagues and your team to reach new levels of excellence and success. In Winning with Accountability, Henry offers a step-by-step guide to help any organization improve performance by creating a culture of accountability. The strategies in this book are simple, easy to implement...and the results are immediate! It should be required reading for every member of every team. Read, enjoy, and win with accountability! (from amazon.com book description)

My Read:

            “When it comes to teamwork, I define accountability as the willingness of team members to remind one another when they are not living up to the performance standards of the group” (Lencioni, 2005, p 61). In Lencioni’s book: Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide, avoidance of accountability is one of the reasons why a team’s performance is not to its peak. Imagine in a group when something doesn’t work out and no one is willing to take the blame or pointing finger becomes a person’s self-defense, would trust or high productivity be found among peers or in the team?

            There are four pieces of accountability puzzle found in this book. They are: Clear expectation, specificity, ownership, and share.

Clarity, according to the author, can be assessed by Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, Trackable, Ethical, and Recorded. The author uses the acronym S.M.A.R.T.E.R to emphasis the concepts of clarity.

Specificity is about being specific dates, times, and time zones. When people get a visual picture, they will better retain what is being said (Evans, 2008, p59). About the time specific, the author states the difference between datelines and timelines. Datelines are about when the work was supposed to be done. On the other hand, timelines are about when we actually do the work. By the definition one knows that datelines won’t guarantee tasks be done; when unexpected things happen one has no enough time to react if one does things at the last minute. Timelines serve as guidelines telling a person the processes of tasks done and one meets a timeline it means certain job has been done.

Ownership is when someone takes charge of a task. When things don’t go well the person in charge stands up and takes the blame. Such ownership helps people and the team focus on finding a solution instead of wasting time pointing fingers.

Sharing accountability creates and invites healthy relationships. When sharing and working on shared goals people focus on to how to get the best outcome. No one is perfect and when people are willing to check in and follow through on-hand tasks such bond and partnership strengthen and empower teamwork.

I imagine a workplace in which everyone is willing to hold each other accountable and remind each other when team performance is not as ideal as the team expect to reach. As the author teaches and advises a person to look in the mirror instead of through a glass. “When things go wrong-questions to ask: 1) Where did I fail to communicate clear expectations? 2) Who did I forget to include in initial discussions? 3) What could I have done better or differently that may have resulted in a more favorable outcome? We must first focus on a change within ourselves to create the possibility of change in others” (Evans, 2008, p26).

We can’t make people change; we have control of our mindset. Mindset drives a person to excellence and happiness.

Reference:

Evans, H. Winning with accountability: The secret language of high-performing organizations. Dallas: Cornerstone Leadership Institute, 2008. Print.

Lencioni, P. Overcoming the five dysfunctions of a team, a field guide for leaders, managers, and facilitators. Jossey-Bass Inc Pub, 2005. Print.