YOU’VE probably read articles, maybe watched analysis on tv, been to see a guru give a lecture or even just gotten into a debate in your local about accountability.
The captain, the manager, the full forward, the scrum half, the full back; someone, somewhere (in summer time?) will claim these athletes need to take accountability for whatever it is that has gone wrong.
Whether that’s down to tactics, mistakes, energy, effort, rush of blood to the head, a horrendous tackle: someone needs to be held accountable.
What does that really mean however? Do we confuse ‘accountability’ with ‘responsibility’ or even ‘blame’?
I think we often do and it detracts from the true meaning (and benefits of) of accountability.
Let’s say (in soccer) a defender, in injury time, pulls down a forward who is clear through on goal. Rules are simple, free kick, defender gets sent off. Defender gets a one-match ban for a professional foul. The defender is certainly responsible for his actions. He made the decision to commit the foul.
Accountability however is the ‘why’ he did so. Accountability is knowing and accepting that someone will ask him to explain why he acted as he did. It’s the justification or evaluation piece.
The player will be held accountable by the manager. Now maybe he was doing exactly what was asked of him, in relation to a specific set of circumstances (team leading, injury time, near certain goal on). Maybe it was a rush of blood to the head. Maybe the players were told to make their own decisions in the moment and he rationalised that it was better to try and hold out a man down for two minutes rather than give away an equaliser. Whatever the reason, when being accountable; the player will own and explain their decision.
The manager in turn will then be held accountable by the owners. Explaining either why he gave the players those instructions, or allowed them the latitude to make those decisions independently.
The owners will in turn be held accountable by the shareholders and fans. Why did you appoint that manager?
Maybe the best way to look at it is this: you are responsible for your own actions, whether you do something good, bad, or indifferently. That is an internal choice. Whether you do what you are asked or whether you ignore the instructions you have been given.
You will then be held accountable by someone else for those actions. This means that you have to justify why you did what you did. In good organisations people will be both held accountable and personally accept that accountability.
Some people will seek to deflect, to blame others, to refuse to hold themselves accountable for their actions. They tend to learn nothing and only succeed in making themselves look weak, foolish or even contemptible.
Analysing they decisions made, the choices taken, understanding the process that led to the outcome helps individuals and organisations grow and develop. It helps them become better.
If you know you are going to be help accountable, you will usually try harder to ensure things go right, to apply greater rigour to your decisions and think of the bigger picture. Conversely in organisations where there is little accountability, blame is freely passed around, little gets learned, motivation drops and the same mistakes keep repeating.
Creating a culture of accountability is not an easy task however. Explaining yourself to others and asking others to explain themselves can be a difficult skill to embed.
There are steps you can take however:
1. Analysis how much control people have over what they do. How much of the what, when, where and how of the decisions or actions taken are in their gift. The more responsibility an employee has, the greater voice they have, the more latitude for choice, the more influence and control – the more accountable they become.
2. This means trusting your people. If you are asking them to be accountable then don’t micromanage them.
3. Define the expected results. Be specific, clear and let people know what they (and the business) are aiming for.
4. Don’t confuse people with mixed messages, conflating responsibilities or diffusion of roles. They should know exactly they are accountable for.
5. Set out a clear vision ‘the hunter that chased two rabbit catches neither”
6. Promote honesty. Create a no blame culture. Encourage people to analyse truthfully.
7. Set an example yourself and further up the chain. If staff see owners, senior management and line managers being accountable, this will encourage them to follow suit. Make sure that’s promoted throughout.
8. Give people the required tools, training and knowledge so they can execute and deliver what they are accountable for. Help them develop complementary skill sets; problem solving, resilience, communication etc.
9. Recognise that there is a difference between ‘felt’ accountability and ‘clarity’ of accountability. ‘Felt’ accountability is how strongly someone feels accountable, ‘clarity’ is how clear they are on what they are accountable for. Both need to be developed.
10. Encourage collaboration and de-siloing. The more comfortable people are that others will be accountable the more they will trust each other and feel able to help across boundaries.
Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying: “It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one's acts.”
Take responsibility. Be accountable. It’s how we learn, grow and not make the same mistakes over and over again.
Barry Shannon is head of HR at STATSports
