KateNasser.com

Many teams display a list of their service and teamwork promises to each other. I recently saw such a list and found it interesting. (I often help teams develop teamwork promises.) On this particular instance, I also thought one item was missing from the list — accountability. Here’s why it’s important and what can happen when you omit it from your list.

Teamwork Promises Must Include Accountability. Image via Pinterest.com

Image via Pinterest.com

Teamwork Promises Must Include Accountability

As I read this list of hive rules (aka teamwork promises) displayed prominently, I was glad to see people skills like humility, respect, kindness, honesty etc… listed there. Teamwork and morale fall apart when you overlook these people skills.

Yet, accountability needs to be on your list of teamwork promises too.

Reasons Why

1. Being accountable makes it easier for everyone to be honest with you. For Example: If instead of being accountable for your people skills missteps, you get defensive when they tell you were disrespectful to them, they will avoid future interactions with you. Be accountable for how you treat others.

2. Following-through with your assigned work is essential. For example, you could be a very nice person yet if you let your work slide, team results falter too. Be accountable for your work.

3. Preventing the blame game. For example, when I consult to leaders and teams who are pointing fingers and blaming each other, I know that accountability was missing from their list of teamwork promises. It takes awhile to get these teams to high performance.

4. Having accountability on the list of teamwork promises will win over the skeptics. There are many who think the people skills behaviors are not that important. They think of results only. Yet, if you put accountability on the list of promises, you will show how all items on the list are essential to high performance.

And of course …

5. Building and sustaining trust. When we promise, we are asking for trust. And when you add accountability to the list of promises, you lessen the fear of trusting others.

Related Posts:
Leadership, Breed Accountability Not Blame
The Benefits to Your Career of Being Accountable
Do You Sidestep Accountability w/ These Excuses?

©2024 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 for permission and guidelines. 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, charter, civility, Leadership, leading morale, management, people skills, promises, respect, Teamwork, trust