Start by remembering that peers don’t want to be “held” by you. “Holding someone accountable” implies control or correctional, reactive efforts to fix someone.
Effective leaders proactively develop accountability before tasks are executed.
Before You Engage: Earn the Right to Influence
Accountability conversations are often framed as “hard discussions.” That’s usually a sign that colleagues are missing the first essential step in peer-to-peer accountability.
Before initiating an accountability discussion, you must earn the right to influence.
Here’s how:
- Believe your colleague wants to be great.
Trust that they want to do what’s right and contribute to a winning organization. Remember: People can sense whether you care or respect them. Your words and energy will lift or limit them. - Lead yourself first.
Demonstrate that you have a healthy relationship with yourself…before you attempt to build the relationship with them. Remember: When you operate with emotional intelligence, you see, hear and understand more. - Suspend judgement.
Resist the gossip or the destructive beliefs about your cross-functional colleague. Remember: You will always find the evidence to support what you believe. Effective leaders are disciplined in having a productive mindset.
When an organization has accountability issues, it’s almost always a sign of deeper empowerment issues. In other words, accountability increases in proportion to the rate of effective empowerment.
Accountability begins by recognizing the greatness within those you wish to influence.
Next week, in part 2 of this series, we’ll outline how to have an effective accountability discussion with a peer or cross-functional colleagues.
P.S. Cross-functional alignment is essential for project success. That’s why we’re hosting our next Activation Session on the 28th of April, Empowered Decision-Making: Trusting the Expertise of Cross-Functional Colleagues.
Click HERE to register.
