Unspoken Language of Accountability

The Unspoken Language of

Accountability

The Secrets of Top Teams Revealed

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45 Minute Presentation + 15 Minute Q&AEnter questions in the chat window during presentation

in prep for Q&ASlides & Recording Available 24-48 hours after webinarGet alerts about other live events, webinars, and

podcasts at xeniumhr.comContact the moderator: Brandon.Laws@Xeniumhr.com

Moderated byBrandon Laws

About the Instructor

Thomas B. Cox

● Discoverer of The Only Universal Truth of Leadership

● BA Behavioral Science (w/ honors) University of Chicago

● Consulted for PwC and IBM

● Author of 300+ articles on Leadership

● Expert on Lean and Accountability

What You Will Learn

You will learn:

What “accountability” really is

The true sources of most workplace tensions, drama, and lost productivity

The four steps that top teams always use

The incredible power of Owning the Inputs

The two types of Accountable Agreements

How to Get Started on your Journey to High Accountability

Why Accountability?

Over 50%of workers struggle with having no shared method to

reach accountable agreements or hold each other accountable.

Source: Workplace Accountability Study of 40,000 professionals by Partners in Leadership 2014

What is Accountability?

What is Accountability?

It’s the state where mutual expections are clearly SET and clearly MET.

What is Accountability?

We agreeyou didwhat we agreedyou’d do.

What is Accountability?

Integrity.Your words = your actions.1/3 of TRUST.

Think of a time when someone let you down at work...or you let them down

...someone let you down at work

(without naming names):A. Expectation that was set B. What actually happened C. Impact of the gapD. How you imagine they feelE. How you feel

...someone let you down at work

(without naming names):A. Expectation that was set: I was asked to create a

simple CRM spreadsheet to present at our business development working meeting

B. What actually happened: I worked over the weekend on it. During the meeting the following week, my work was ignored (not reviewed) and another solution was presented by the person who asked me to create my solution.

C. Impact of the gap: Distrust. Disempowered. D. How you imagine they feel: Like they did the right

thing.E. How you feel: Disempowered. Like I wasted time.

Disrespected. Frustrated, because I had been trying to get progress in this area and get some internal movement on this front.

...someone let you down at work

Feelings of Accountability

Non-performance makes you feel (at least a little):Uncomfortable (social) “I let them down”

Ashamed (emotional) “I let myself down”

Feels BadLow Accountability

Common emotions of low accountability

FrustratedBetrayedAngryDisrespectedEmbarrassed

HelplessHopelessSmallInsignificantNot cared about

Feels BadWe hate these feelings so we avoid them by...

Low Accountability

To Avoid Feeling Bad We (as DOER)...

Under-promise; Avoid any clear promiseManage Expectations (Downward)Promise effort not outcome -- “I’ll give it a try”Blame someone else -- “It’s not my fault…”

To Avoid Being Let Down We (as ASKER)...

Try to pin people downAsk, nag, seek updatesReject effort over outcome -- “Do or do not; there is no try”Hate it when they blame someone else

Notice the Tension?

As DoerAvoid any clear promise

Manage Expectations (Downward)

Promise effort not outcome -- “I’ll give it a try”

Blame someone else -- “It’s not my fault…”

As AskerTry to pin people down

Ask, nag, seek updates

Reject effort over outcome -- “Do or do not; there is no try”

Hate it when they blame someone else

Low Accountability BreedsDistrust and Destructive Conflict

So, What About High Accountability?

Think of a time when someone came through for you at work...or you came through for them

...someone came through for you at work

(without naming names):A. Expectation that was set B. What actually happened C. Impact of the gapD. How you imagine they feelE. How you feel

Feels GreatWe love the feeling so we seek it out by...

High Accountability

...someone came through for you at work

We want more so we:A. Go to that person more oftenB. Give that person more important workC. Confide in themD. Collaborate with themE. Praise them to others

How do we get more of the good stuff?

How do we get more of the good stuff?

It’s even harder than you think.

How do we get more of the good stuff?

...by learning the Unspoken Language of Accountability -- a secret language used by top performing teams in all industries and all countries.

Force Field Diagram

Forces that Increase Accountability

Forces that Decrease Accountability

Low MoralePeers’ Bad HabitsWeak/No RolesNo Method/LanguageLeader sets bad exampleLack of Skill/Training

ProfessionalismPeer SupportClearly Stated RolesA Method & LanguageLeader sets good

exampleSkill & Training

Force Affecting the Team’s Accountability

Method: The Accountability Loop

1987 Winograd & Flores

Winograd & Flores publish “Language/Action Perspective (LAP)”

How can two pieces of software reach an Accountable Agreement?

Forced to be explicit (no unstated cultural assumptions)

The Accountability Loop

AskerDoer

Adapted from Language/Action Perspective (LAP) by Winograd and Flores, 1987

The Accountability Loop

AskerDoer

Initiate

Request for Performance

Gather all the facts togetherRepeating work? Use a templateGet clear on the Ultimate OutcomeDo I need interim updates, progress reports, or samples?In what format do I want my outcome?Am I making an “unclean ask”?

Best Practices for Initiate

The Accountability Loop

AskerDoer

NegotiateInitiate

Mutual Agreement of Performance Request for

Performance

Asker:Separate the Outcome

from the MethodIs the counter-offer ok?Are they visualizing what

I’m visualizing?Ask for early updates

Best Practices for Negotiate

Doer:Do I know a better way?No weak YESes!What else am I doing?Can I commit to an

outcome, or only to effort?

Commit-to-Commit

The Accountability Loop

AskerDoer

Perform

NegotiateInitiate

Mutual Agreement of Performance

Report that Performance Is Complete

Request for Performance

Ask for help. Share bad news early. Be transparent (but don’t burden others).

Do I need clarification, a decision, or more info? (Warm ABCs)Warmly, Ask for the Actual thing I need (e.g. a

decision)By when I need itContext and Consequences of not getting it

New risks arising?Own my inputs!

Best Practices for Perform

The Accountability Loop

AskerDoer

Accept Perform

NegotiateInitiate

Mutual Agreement of Performance

Report that Performance Is Complete

Report that Performance is

Accepted

Request for Performance

Did I get the Outcome I truly needed?Which expectations were met, and did I say “thank you”?Which were NOT met, and did I challenge appropriately?Plus/Delta: How do we improve our joint process?How did I co-create the results (good and bad)?Do I need to initiate a Broken Promises conversation?

Best Practices for Accept

The Accountability Loop

AskerDoer

Accept Perform

NegotiateInitiate

Mutual Agreement of Performance

Report that Performance Is Complete

Report that Performance is

Accepted

Request for Performance

Where problems are NOTICED

The Accountability Loop

AskerDoer

Accept Perform

NegotiateInitiate

Mutual Agreement of Performance

Report that Performance Is Complete

Report that Performance is

Accepted

Request for Performance

Where problems are CREATED

The Accountability Loop

AskerDoer

Accept Perform

NegotiateInitiate

Mutual Agreement of Performance

Report that Performance Is Complete

Report that Performance is

Accepted

Request for Performance

Type into the question box ONE THING you will do differently based on today’s session

How will YOU be more accountable?

Would your team benefit from accountability training?

I train teams to be more accountable via:● Shared language● Shared practicesIf you’re a manager and want higher accountability for your team, type “call me” and your phone number in the question field.

Questions?Ask Away

For More Information503-516-3886

thomas@eudae.biz