The Power Of Joint Accountability

The Question:
“How do we develop greater collaboration, cooperation, and cross-boundary solutions in our organization?”

According to a recent industry-wide poll, almost 90% of Learning and Development professionals are focusing on “cross-boundary work” and “collaboration” in their organization. This issue is among the most common concerns in organizations today.

Our Answer:
Collaboration, cooperation, and cross-boundary solutions require the creation of what we call “joint accountability.” Why? Because the single-most important uniting factor that facilitates cooperation and collaboration is a focus on common results. History shows that some of the greatest collaboration was accomplished by a uniting common purpose (i.e., the 1980 Hockey Team, the Apollo 13 rescue, and the recent rescue of 33 miners in Chile)—a purpose that was so compelling it drove world-class collaboration in each situation that otherwise would not likely have been achieved.

The following story one of our clients told us illustrates the power of joint accountability. Teradata Corporation, a small start-up company that had been acquired by NCR, was about to ship its first computer to a Fortune 500 company on the East Coast. All future orders depended upon on-time delivery of their first prototype. As employees gathered on a Saturday in the company parking lot to celebrate the send-off, the American Van Lines driver, who’d been contracted to transport the product, was greeted with cheers and good wishes. Never before had he seen the emotional investment so many people about a load he was carrying.

Eight hours into the trip, at an interstate weigh station, the American Van Lines driver discovered that his load was five hundred pounds over the legal limit. The problem would result in a one-day delay and the technology on board would require the processing of more paperwork with the FCC. Back in the parking lot, he had bought into the idea that nothing would get in the way of the on-time delivery. He was now a part of the team.

He was in constant communication with the company on his cell phone. Collaboratively, they worked together to find a solution. Turning the truck around, the driver drove back to the nearest rest stop. He walked the truck, asking the question, “what else can I do to lighten my load?” In answer, he dismantled the truck’s front bumper, removed extra water containers and unneeded snow chains hanging beneath the truck. He hid everything in a nearby ditch under some brush, at obvious risk to himself. When he returned to the weigh station, the truck checked in fifty pounds under weight. A day later, he delivered Teradata’s first computer on time, despite the incident.

The contract truck driver became jointly accountable for Teradata’s result and personally invested in a collaborative process to solve problems and overcome obstacles. That’s the power of joint accountability—it drives collaboration, cooperation and cross-boundary solutions.