LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH

Accountability Part 2
Lecturer: Dr. Ann Downer, EdD

I hope you’ve had some time to think about the degree to which you take responsibility for
your work commitments—not just for your part of any particular job, but for the end result, or
outcome. According to Linda Galindo, we need to be accountable above the 85% mark.

One way to increase accountability on a team is by having a clear agreement. You may
remember this suggestion from Galindo’s Accountability Cycle. Clear agreements allow us to
hold ourselves and others accountable, and they can also help us avoid overuse of the word,
“we”, which, if you remember, can sometimes end up meaning everyone and no one at the
same time.

With a clear agreement in place, team members know what they’re responsible for. Teams
should develop an agreement before work begins, putting in writing the tasks for getting the
job done, a description of the outcome or deliverable, and the actions each person on the team
will take to accomplish the task.

An agreement like this also describes when different tasks will be completed and the stakes
associated with the task. By stakes, I mean that an agreement can make clear what the
consequences are of dropping the ball and not completing a task. When the stakes are high, it’s
all the more important that everyone knows what the risks are of failure to be accountable.

A clear agreement can be a living document that’s revisited now and then by the team—it can
be adjusted as conditions change, which we know they do. It can also help a team evaluate
itself and self-correct if things aren’t getting done. For instance, sometimes a member of a
team simple can’t deliver because of illness or unexpected changes in their life circumstances.
Revisiting the agreement can be a way to acknowledge that situation and the risk it creates so
the team can think about how to compensate for it.

So, consider a team agreement next time you and a group of people have a job to do. They help
us to be as clear as possible about what needs to get done and who is going to do it. There’s no
specific formula- you can develop your own format for an agreement—whatever works you’re
your team—it can be as simple or detailed as you wish. It often looks very much like your
workplan, and, in fact, you can use your workplan in this way.

If you’re wondering if this is just a lot of extra paperwork, think about this: Have you ever had a
misunderstanding that resulted from only having a verbal agreement about what needs to get
done and who is doing what? I sure have. The more people there are on a team, the greater the
likelihood of a misunderstanding, in my experience. Next time you’re facing a situation like this,
think about drafting an agreement—it could save you a lot of time and trouble!
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