7 Clues Of A Negative Accountability Connection

How do you keep morale positive and everyone productive, even in these tumultuous times? Recent Zogby polls show that a quarter of the American workforce feels that they work for a dictatorship and half don’t feel they are treated well by their boss.  We call this a negative Accountability Connection and that impacts results, in a major way. Every conversation you have with the people you work with about your expectations, and their accountability for fulfilling those expectations, perpetuates either a positive or negative Accountability Connection. If someone feels that you have not dealt with them fairly, honestly, and in a supportive manner, they will undoubt­edly see the connection as negative. If, on the other hand, they think you have treated them fairly, honestly, and in a supportive manner, they will most likely view the connection as posi­tive. These experiences with your people accumulate over time, making you either more or less effective in holding your people accountable for fulfilling your expectations and delivering results.

Ironically, most people intuitively know whether their Accountability Connection with a boss, subordinate, or peer is positive or negative, but few of them pay enough attention to managing it more effectively. It should come as no surprise that the more positive your connections, the more successful you will be in holding others accountable. So, take a moment to consider the status of your connections with the people you hold accountable. To help with your assessment, we have identified seven clues for detecting a negative connection:

1. You visibly detect the other person’s frustration during your conversations.
2. You note that they tend to offer excuses even before you get into the subject.
3. You hear virtually no positive feedback about their working relationship with you.
4. You recognize that they talk freely when things are going well and clam up when things are going poorly.
5. You can tell they are avoiding you.
6. You wait in vain for a proactive report on their progress.
7. You find that your conversations with them usually focus on what’s not working.

If you detect three or more of these clues, then, no matter how posi­tively someone may claim they feel about their connection with you, it more than likely hinders your ability to hold them accountable. A keener awareness of your Account­ability Connections can make a huge difference as you work to establish clear expectations and achieve desired results.