Jan, 8th, 2009

Leadership tip of the week - Accountability

January 8, 2009

Dear Leaders,

Being accountable and holding others accountable is
not a new topic in the workplace, or at home for that
matter, and is often linked with not delivering what
was expected.

This raises two issues:

was the deliverable clearly identified and the due
date assigned?

is accountability only discussed when a goal has been
missed or a problem arises?

In a very simple definition, being accountable means
to “be responsible to somebody or for
something”.

Accountability is sometimes viewed in negative terms,
but why? Based on the definition of responsibility, it
sounds so positive.

So what can we do?

Make sure our actions support what we commit to.

Promptly communicate any changes to what was
committed to.

Be specific and clearly identify what was committed
to with timeframes.

Seek clarity if a task or assignment is vague

Let us know how this helps.

Sincerely,

Michael W. Kublin and

Jan Mayer-Rodriguez