Leaders often struggle with holding their team accountable. During our research for the book "Powerscore," we discovered that only 8% of leaders excel at accountability. A significant reason for this shortfall is that incorrect accountability practices complicate matters for everyone involved.
Consider this example from a keynote I delivered at a Fortune conference: I asked the audience, "How many of you have goals for your teams that are written down?" Surprisingly, only 10% had documented their goals. This lack of clarity leads to confusion, making it nearly impossible to hold someone accountable for results when the expectations have not been clearly set.
Effective accountability requires clearly defined goals and the use of measurable metrics provided by others. Reflecting on my early days as CEO at ghSMART, I recall struggling to hold a consultant accountable. She was exceptionally skilled technically but lacked initiative in client communications and follow-ups, resulting in clients not retaining her services.
I invited her to my office to discuss improving her client relationships. She disagreed with my assessment, claiming her clients were satisfied with her work. I countered, "Well, one client told me that although he values your work, he feels you treat him like 'processed cheese' and that you rush to finish projects with him, then move on to the next client." She insisted her work should speak for itself, and our meeting ended abruptly.
