Your Coworker’s Accountability

We often hear the following question: “How do I help a coworker at my same level in the organization who needs to be more accountable?”An immediate companion question is usually:“And how do I do it without offending this person or being perceived as an overreaching busybody?”

Our answer is simple and straightforward. Because of the joint accountability you both share for overcoming obstacles and achieving results in your organization, you must talk to your coworker. If you don’t, the organization and everyone in it will suffer to some degree because of your coworker’s Below The Line attitude. One person stuck Below The Line on a critical issue or Key Result can have an enormous impact on the experiences, beliefs, actions, and results of others in the organization. Left unaddressed and uncorrected, a single Below The Line attitude inevitably leads to more people thinking and acting Below The Line.

We suggest you immediately begin a dialogue with your coworker by asking a nonthreatening but focused question, such as: “Why aren’t you making the progress you really want to make on this issue?” Listen for the person’s perceived obstacles, stumbling blocks, barriers, and impediments. Encourage your coworker to talk candidly about the situation. You may even need to encourage him or her to explore this further in order to fully See It by asking: “What else is getting in the way of making progress?”

When your coworker has had sufficient opportunity to identify and describe the perceived obstacles or barriers, ask this crucial question: “If you had to take accountability for overcoming one of these obstacles, which would it be and why?” What you’re trying to do is help this person take accountability for both sides of ownership: the problem and the solution. Alternative ways to ask the question might be: “Will you be held accountable for overcoming this obstacle?” or “What will happen if you don’t try to overcome this obstacle?” or “If your life depended upon it, what else could you do to overcome this obstacle?”

Let the conversation proceed naturally to a discussion of solutions. In other words, what else can this person do to influence one or more of the perceived obstacles and barriers that are hindering progress? It may take more than one or two conversations to help your coworker move Above The Line. Be patient but persistent. Offer your help, as appropriate and feasible, but don’t try to overcome the obstacles for your coworker, and, of course, follow-up to see how things are going. Genuine concern for your coworker’s accountability and success will not only build a stronger relationship of trust between you, it will also strengthen the organization’s collective accountability for overcoming obstacles and achieving the Key Results.

 For more information on how to help the people in your organization become more accountable for overcoming obstacles and achieving results, we invite you to join the Accountability Community, where you can review actual client case studies.

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