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Responsibility and accountability should be aligned. When team activities are tracked and team members held accountable for results, they should first have had the responsibility for creating those results.

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Tracking and Accountability

Responsibility and accountability should be aligned.  When team activities are tracked and team members held accountable for results, they should first have had the responsibility for creating those results.

When to use

Whenever work is assigned to team members, or assumed by team members, the accountability commensurate with the responsibility should follow.

Instructions

Responsibility and accountability need to be aligned to achieve best team performance.  Tracking performance and holding team members accountable when they did not have responsibility for a team activity demotivates and frustrates a team.  If the results were good, the wrong person is rewarded.  If the results were bad, the wrong person is reprimanded.

Responsibility

Responsibility applies before and during a team activity.  The responsible person plans and executes – or manages the execution – of the activity.  Responsibility can be assumed by an individual volunteering to take on a task.  Responsibility can be delegated by the team leader assigning responsibility for a task to a team member.

Accountability

Accountability applies after an activity.  The accountable person must answer for what was done, why it was done and accept the positive or negative consequences that follow from the result of the activity.  Accountability cannot be assumed or delegated, it is based upon the facts of what actually happened.

The ideal condition is when responsibility and accountability are aligned.  The individual who plans and executes an activity then receives the appropriate recognition for the results.  When an individual is responsible but not accountable, they have a tendency to make irresponsible and risky decisions.  When an individual is accountable but not responsible, they get angry and frustrated because they feel that they are at the mercy of events they can’t control.

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  • 00:05 Hi, I'm Ray Sheen, and I'd like to take a few moments to talk about a thorny problem
  • 00:09 that often plagues teams.
  • 00:11 This occurs when the team results are being tracked with consequences for
  • 00:15 team members, but
  • 00:16 responsibility and accountability are not aligned among the team members.
  • 00:21 When this happens problems are likely to ensure.
  • 00:25 >> Let me start by ensuring we understand what I mean by responsibility and
  • 00:29 accountability.
  • 00:31 Responsibility applies before an action,
  • 00:34 it is often assigned to an individual on a team based upon their role or position.
  • 00:39 Responsibility can be assumed by any team member.
  • 00:42 They can chose to step into a task or activity and take the responsibility for
  • 00:47 accomplishing it.
  • 00:49 Responsibility can also be delegated to another person.
  • 00:53 A team leader can assign the responsibility for planning and
  • 00:56 executing team activities to team members.
  • 00:59 That means that the team member is now expected to be determine the best way to
  • 01:02 accomplish the task and then make it happen.
  • 01:06 Because responsibility is a state that occurs before and
  • 01:10 bearing a task it carries expectations.
  • 01:13 The person who is responsible is expected to achieve the objectives for the task and
  • 01:18 do that in a way that makes wise use of the team's time and resources.
  • 01:23 Now, let's contrast that with accountability.
  • 01:27 Accountability is after the fact, it is based upon what happened.
  • 01:31 In terms of cause and effect, responsibility should be the cause,
  • 01:36 accountability starts at the point of the effect.
  • 01:39 Accountability can be either positive or negative.
  • 01:43 When things are great,
  • 01:44 the individuals who made that happen are deemed accountable and recognized for it.
  • 01:49 When things go badly, the individuals who made that happen
  • 01:52 are deemed accountable and appropriately, punished.
  • 01:55 So a big difference between the two is that accountability
  • 01:59 cannot be either assumed or delegated.
  • 02:02 Since it's focused on the historical facts, it is what it is.
  • 02:06 That means that accountability carries consequences.
  • 02:09 Those held accountable for a result must explain their actions and be prepared to
  • 02:13 accept the reward and punishment that the stake-holders feel are appropriate.
  • 02:19 Let's consider these two perspectives as we talk about tracking project
  • 02:22 performance.
  • 02:24 Ideally, responsibility and accountability are aligned with each other.
  • 02:27 An individual who has the responsibility for
  • 02:29 an activity, either because it was assigned or assumed by them.
  • 02:34 Is then held accountable for the results of that activity.
  • 02:37 They know that their actions will be judged, if they do well,
  • 02:40 they will be commended.
  • 02:41 If they make bad decisions and poorly execute them, they will be reprimanded.
  • 02:45 When this is the condition of the team,
  • 02:47 you're likely to get your best team performance.
  • 02:50 However, if an individual has responsibility without accountability,
  • 02:54 they can do whatever they want, and not have to face any consequences.
  • 02:58 I wish I could say that they will always act wisely, and well.
  • 03:02 But that's not the tale we find written in most of history.
  • 03:05 When individuals can exercise responsibility for planning and
  • 03:08 doing a task, but are not held accountable for
  • 03:11 results, they often begin to make rash and irresponsible decisions.
  • 03:16 These cause problems for the rest of the team, leading to cost, schedule and
  • 03:20 efficiency issues.
  • 03:22 By the same token, when an individual is held accountable for
  • 03:25 results of team activities.
  • 03:27 Without having the responsibility for planning, doing or
  • 03:30 managing those activities, other problems arise.
  • 03:33 The result is often fear and frustration on the part of the individual.
  • 03:37 Far too often, the results of the activities are unfavorable,
  • 03:40 since the person with the responsibility is not accountable.
  • 03:44 The accountable person is then punished for things over which they had no control.
  • 03:48 If this continues, the accountable person become totally demotivated and
  • 03:52 often refuses to act or participate with the team.
  • 03:55 >> Accountability and responsibility need to be
  • 04:00 aligned to achieve best team performance.
  • 04:04 As a team leader, watch these closely.

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