KateNasser.com

In my recent leadership post Breed Accountability Not Blame, many leaders applauded my definition of accountability as the profitable practice of initiative, ownership, and follow-through.

With that as a solid vision, I have worked with many leaders on converting a culture of blame to accountability. This is especially true for leaders who are moving into an organization where blame has paralyzed the teams in fear and hung success out of profitable reach.

From Old Bucket of Blame Image by: ValerieEveritt

To the Profit of Accountability! Image via Istock.

Leaders, Convert From Blame to Accountability

In one very telling case, a leader was taking over for a previous information technology (IT) leader who had actually cultivated a heavy CYA culture. Fear and blame had completely squashed initiative, ownership, and follow-through.

Meanwhile the company was changing and needed an IT organization that could engage, innovate, initiate, and collaborate for success. The new leader called me and asked if we could undo years of fear and get IT employees to fully engage. My answer was: Yes we can if you and your leadership colleagues will support encouraging words with daily actions that empower employees and value their talents.

From Old Bucket to New Bucket – Key Steps to Success

• Identify the change needed without blaming the previous leader.

  You must show the teams in every conversation that you truly welcome their ideas. To undo years of a blame culture, you will need to encourage, reinforce, and show appreciation for participation. It is simple behavioral reconditioning that builds trust if you do it with heart and commitment.

• Promote participation & recognize ideas.

  You must show the teams in every conversation that you truly welcome their ideas. To undo years of a blame culture, you will need to encourage, reinforce, and show appreciation for participation. It is simple behavioral reconditioning that builds trust if you do it consistently with heart and commitment.

• Allow them to hold you accountable.

  One of the most powerful ways to teach the employees the difference between blame and accountability is to ask them to hold you accountable to your promises. As they offer ideas, show initiative, and engage, team members get to speak up if you fall into blaming behavior rather than shared learning.

• Rebuild the definition of teamwork and team success.

  Results are not the only thing that take a beating in a culture of blame. Teamwork suffers terribly as team members protect themselves from each other. I have actually used the old bucket/new bucket theme in many team re-building sessions to replace all the mistrust with a new sense of collaborative hope and profitable actions.

• Meet individually with team members who continue to resist.

  Some team members will take longer trust you and the promise of a new culture. Meet individually with them and listen to their concerns. Highlight what talents you see in them that can make a difference given the company’s challenges. Have them set some goals using their talents and follow up regularly. Emotional intelligence is your most appropriate skill in this case.

• Lead with a passion for learning and results.

  Converting a culture of blame to accountability takes a passion for learning as well as committing and producing. Some leaders mistakenly hold back honesty and coddle the employees. This is not leadership. It damages success as much as the blame culture.

  Learning is about moving forward to prevent the same mistakes. Learning strengthens the team members and the company. It builds critical thinking and unstoppable success. Replace all your “why didn’t you” assaults, with open-ended questions and participative discussions on root causes and solutions. Solidify the future with next time agreements and shared ownership.

You will witness improved communication and collaboration that bring shared ownership to life without the scourge of scapegoating and blame. You will see team member pride and honor in responsibility.

I will help you make it happen and welcome your questions, challenges, suggestions and ideas!

From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™

©2013 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. I appreciate your sharing the link to this post on your social streams. However, if you want to re-post or republish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.

Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™, delivers coaching, consulting, training, and keynotes on leading change, employee engagement, teamwork, and delivering the ultimate customer service. She turns interaction obstacles into interpersonal success. See this site for workshop outlines, keynote footage, and customer results.

Tags: accountability, corporate, culture, employee engagement, empowerment, initiative, leaders, Leadership, management, managers, organization, ownership, people skills, success, team building, teams, Teamwork, trust