Page 268 - Fearless Leadership

Holding Each Other Accountable 255

Don’t do this.” But the behavior migrates and shows up in a different way,
and the problem persists. The monkey remains on your back, and the indi-
vidual does not have an opportunity to make corrective changes. By
maintaining accountability for the problem, you become mired in man-
aging people problems with unsuccessful results.
Fortunately, there is a second approach: you can help people become
personally accountable for their behavior and the choices they make. This
approach is based on transferring accountability to the appropriate per-
son, so you can stop engaging in the futile endeavor of trying to change
another person’s behavior. Exhibit 10-1 summarizes the difference
between these two approaches.

The Approach The Message The Measurement The Accountability

Approach 1: “I want you to Results are mea- On You: You own
Taking account- change your sured by your ability the problem and
ability for the behavior.” to persuade others must now convince
behavior of to change their others to change
others behavior. their behavior.

Approach 2: “Your behavior will Results are mea- On Others: You
Transferring tell me what choice sured by the indi- hold others
accountability you have made.” vidual’s choice to accountable for
to the appropri- change his or her changing their
ate party own behavior. behavior.

EXHIBIT 10-1: Putting Accountability Where It Belongs

As a committed partner, it is your job to support others in taking per-
sonal accountability. You must do everything possible short of enabling
the person. Always keep in mind that your job is to help people feel pow-
erful, not powerless. Be their partner, but do not take accountability for
the choices they make. Set clear limits and boundaries, articulate the
behaviors you expect, provide them with support and resources to learn
new skills, and establish unambiguous consequences. Let behavior and
results be the determining factors in performance, not effort and reasons.