The concept of team accountability and how that works (or doesn’t) became magnificently clear when a coaching client told me this story.
“I took my young nieces out one afternoon and told them that we would all have ice cream if everyone behaved. That meant they had to watch each other and that they would be accountable for each other. No running off out of sight, and their behavior in the store was to be respectful and helpful as we did our errands together. We’d be accountable for getting our errands done with everyone cooperating and that would result in having ice cream at our favorite place together.”
To her surprise, one of the children pushed back. “Hey, that’s not fair! I can’t control Emily. If she runs off why will I get punished with no ice cream?” My client said she had a sudden flashback to her work environment and the “team” she is on.
She explained to her niece that they were all going to be accountable, not just for themselves, but for the whole group. They would get their errands done, she would be less stressed, and then they’d get treated to something they had earned. “But YOU are the grown up!,” her niece declared, “we can’t control our sister.” “Your sister is standing right here and can hear me just as clearly as you can.” She looked right at the youngest and asked, “Do you understand, we are all accountable to get along, stay together and get our errands done and then there will be ice cream?” Without hesitation the youngest looked at her sister and said, “That means you are not the boss of me, we are all the boss of each other.” My friend thought about posting that at the top of the next “team” meeting agenda at work.
The hallmark of a true team is that the group of people involved does not need a “manager” to handle lateness, poor performers, or personality conflicts. Teams support a team leader (of their choosing is best) and hold each other accountable as they focus on results. A clear goal, a clear definition of success, clear roles and the need to inter-depend to get the job done while valuing everyone’s contribution as needed and necessary are the other optimal elements. It takes a high level of personal accountability individually and collectively, to experience an effective team. It’s rare, but done well, one’s work experience can be transformed.
Upon arriving home after a day of errands and ice cream, the youngest niece ran into the house announcing to her mother “Aunt Emily told us we were accountable, and no one was the boss of me, and we got ice cream!” Needless to say, the dinner conversation that night was a much longer and very interesting conversation explaining how that worked.
