Rick
Koelsch
As
discussed previously, three fundamental building block are critical to
effective teams (see August 21, 2012 blog below). Creating a culture of
accountability is one those essential building blocks to all successful teams.
Most faculty enter a team
setting cautiously. Our university culture evaluates and rewards individuals
instead of teams. In addition, our ingrained individual instincts and skepticism
of the performance of others make many cautious about staking our own success
on the performance of others.
Effective teams transition their members from "my administrator holds me
accountable" to "our team holds me accountable". Team
accountability is the sincere promise and resulting follow through made by
individuals to the success of the team. What steps can a team take to grow team
accountability? The following questions may provide some answers.
1.
Does
the team have a really audacious and noble cause - a cause that creates passion
among all team members? If it does not, take the time to reframe the team's
vision in terms that capture the passion of the team member.
2.
Do
the team goals and selected approaches provide clear yardsticks against which progress
is measured? A clear team understanding of the yardsticks to be used to measure
progress are essential for team accountability.
3.
Do
team members trust each other? Some keys to building trust include:
Plenty of face-to-face time, especially as team is forming.
Encouragement of passionate discussions with protection of civility of the interaction. Debate issues, not individual contributions or shortcomings.
An early team success. Identifying an attainable early work product and timely completion of that product can set the stage for loftier outcomes.
4.
Do
team members speak in terms of "We" or in terms of "Me".
Self-centered discussion can sometimes be corrected with some artful coaching
while careful pruning of some team members may be necessary for building trust
and team accountability.
5.
Does
the team’s leadership practice a culture of accountability from the start?
Early team leadership actions are watched closely for clues as to how the team
can behave. Disciplined leadership with a commitment to a shared vision,
consistent communications, and follow through on its own commitments creates a
culture of accountability that most will follow.
6.
Do
all team members leave key team meetings with a clear understanding of their
planned contribution to the team? It may not hurt to have each team member
write down their planned contribution and share this contribution with a team
buddy and team leaders. Accountability to written commitments is much stronger
than often forgotten oral commitments.
Team
accountability is a culture that is essential to all successful teams. Careful
planning of the above considerations into the activities of a team can create a
foundation for a culture of team accountibility.
References:
Katzenbach,
J. R. and D. K. Smith. The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High Performance
Organization. Mckinsey and Company.2003.
Lencioni, P. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint.
2002.
