Request For Comments: I feel this might leave a bit to be desired particularly in the team and organization level sections. Comments welcome.

Holding Each Other Accountable

This is a catch-phrase used for a certain type of personal support. It occurs between two people. They treat each other as equals in the support relationship. "Holding each other accountable" involves the same type of support in both directions, for example, Adam holds Ben accountatble for Ben's commitments, and Ben holds Adam accountable for his.

Example:

• Ben tells Adam he wants to exercise.
• Adam asks Ben if he would like to make a commitment.
• Ben says yes.
• Adam asks Ben to state his specific commitment (set a goal)
• Ben says he commits do riding the stationary bike every day for a half hour
• Adam asks Ben how he would like to followup (active or responsive)
• Ben chooses.
• (If active) Ben periodically lets Adam know how he is doing on keeping his commitment
• (If responsive) Adam periodically asks Ben how he is doing on keeping his commitment and Ben answers
• If the commitment isn't being met, Adam and Ben discuss the situation and choose a course of action: acknowledge the shortfall and keep going, or adjust the goals, or whatever.

Everyone on a team is entrusted with, and responsible for ensuring, the team's success. In order to carry this out, each team member has the right to hold the team accountable.

Example:

• The member sees something that the team does not have or should have in greater quality or quantity.
• In group discussion, the member raises the issue and encourages discussion.
• The team arrives at consensus on what they wish to accomplish, or what quality they wish to have
• In some cases they might set specific goals.
• All members then know what to watch for. The situation is monitored to the extent necessary.
• If a shortfall is perceived, it is raised again. In some cases the shortfall might be addressed within individual relationship (see previous section).

Accountability can also be held within larger group structures. It works somewhat like the team method (previous section) with one important modification: When a shortfall is seen, the one noticing the shortfall should bring it up gradually. The reason for this is to respect the implied rank of larger groups of people.

Example:

• A member sees something that the organization does not have or should have in greater quality or quantity.
• The member raises the issue in discussions with individual members to get ideas and/or discover the presence or absence of consensus.
• During these discussions the member clarifies his/her perception of the nature of the issue and whether it actually needs to be addressed.
• If an issue is still present (unresolved) it is then brought to a small group or team meeting, perhaps by more than one person.
• Discussion and consensus is reached. At this point the group might consider the issue resolved or unresolved. If unresolved, the group might make a commitment to bring the issue to a still higher level.
• The process continues until the issue ceases to exist or is resolved.

Other Important Issues

The Absence of Blame

"Holding a group accountable" is not the same as "blaming every individual in the group", or even "blaming ceertain individuals in the group". However, if other individuals in the group take things personally, it might be perceived that way. Therefore, when performing the task of "raising the issue", one must be vigilant to speak personally — describe what one sees as having been missing, and describe the perceived negative implications of this, and then encourage responses and/or evidence to the contrary.

The Role of Expectation

An individual member's expectation of a certain quality or attribute often leads to that individual initiating a process of accountability like those described above. This contradicts the common wisdom that if you don't get what you expect, you should change your expectations. The group's commitment to live up to its ideals empowers you to act on your unfulfilled expectations by influencing others. In an egalitarian organization, every member of the organization is empowered, and charged with the responsibility, to perform the functions described above.

Robert Munafo's home pages on VistaPages

Men Core Values

© 1996-2008 Robert P. Munafo. Email the author

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

Back to my main page s.13