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Accountability and Success: Can you be accountable for success if you haven't defined it?
February 02, 2010
By Linda Galindo
Tracy and Ellen, training managers at a community hospital, were moaning and groaning. Their beef? They were dealing with resistance "big time," they said—to important new measures to control infection at the hospital.
Their target was handwashing—a key factor in managing infection rates—and, together, they were executing a leadership-approved "mandatory" training program. Employees, however, wanted nothing to do with the program, declaring it "too basic" and a "waste of time."
When I asked Tracy and Ellen for their definition of success for the initiative, they answered in unison, "100 percent participation and compliance." The problem: They stated a goal, not a definition of success.
Mark and Teri, software engineers at a regional bank, felt demoralized. Their current project—a major new software program—had been deemed a disaster by the bank's top brass. Worse, the CEO pulled the plug on the entire effort.
When I asked Mark and Teri for their definition of success, Mark piped up, "Every department trained on the system by October 1, and a go-live date of November 1." The problem: Mark stated a goal, not a definition of success.
Mary, an HR director at a large nonprofit, was in trouble. For the third year in a row, "communication" scored dead last in the organization's annual employee satisfaction survey. Mary, at the direction of leadership, brought in an outside training group to help improve the score.
A year later, Mary couldn't demonstrate a return on the investment. Communication ranked last, yet again, in the newest survey, and leadership blamed her. When I asked Mary for her definition of success, she skirted the question. "Well," she said, "I could have improved the score if leadership had shown their support." The problem: Improving a score on a survey is a goal, not a definition of success.
Success—By Definition
When Tracy and Ellen made the distinction between a goal and a definition of success, they began to view their training program from the larger perspective of a safe hospital environment. They also defined success: "Creating a culture of safety that everyone owns and is accountable for."
"Success can be right now," they said, "simply by us thanking each other for the hard work of awareness and ownership for infection control." Their training sessions, with their new emphasis on recognizing success, took a turn for the positive, and reminders about handwashing—posted throughout the hospital—led to appreciation ("Thanks for looking out for us"), not resentment ("How dare you?"). Leadership also was on board, fully supporting the "goal" of infection control. Hospital patients and guests were satisfied, too, often seeing or overhearing reminders about the hospital's accountability and commitment to creating the safest environment possible.
For Mark and Teri, the definition of success was, "Implementing the new software program with no work-arounds and full troubleshooting protocol, including dedicated 24/7 support." For their next project, they secured leadership's commitment not only to a go-live date, but also to their definition of success. The accountability meeting held six months later was very different from their previous experience. Instead of feeling demoralized, they basked in accolades, appreciation, and acknowledgment.
Mary defined success as, "Having leadership buy-in"—meaning, company executives would attend future programs upfront, and at least one member of the leadership team would open each employee training session, expressing his or her commitment to the program and sharing a personal story about the training experience. In other words, leadership, as Mary's partner, was equally accountable for a training program that would deliver a return on investment and help improve communication, including the survey score, organization-wide.
A Powerful Force
Think about a project you're working on with another person or group. What is your definition of success? Is it clear, stated, and agreed upon?
Making the distinction between a goal and a definition of success isn't an exact science, but the clarification has measurable strength. When accountability for success increases by every individual involved, success begins to manifest moment by moment, not at some future date. It is a positive, powerful force.
Why not let it start with you?
Linda Galindo is a consultant specializing in individual and leadership accountability, and the author of "The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success—No Nonsense, No Excuses." An adviser to CEOs, executive teams, and boards of directors, she helps organizations make personal accountability their central organizing principle. For more information, visit www.lindagalindo.com
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