Accountability Is a State of Mind . . . Like Frustration

"Sure, I'm accountable for my work. I just don't have any control."
"When do I know when I am accountable? When I'm reprimanded."
"I am accountable on a random basis. Sometimes the same results lead to different responses by management or the rest of the organization."
"They say that I'm accountable, but I have to get everything approved."
"My team is accountable for results, but it appears as if we are the only team that is."
"We are accountable for meeting requirements. We just wish we knew what the requirements were going to be next week."

Sound like employees in your project? If so, your work environment is supporting passivity rather than problem-solving--finger-pointing rather than results. Is this what you want? I didn't think so. The problem is that most of us do not have a clear idea of what accountability in the workplace is supposed to look like. What we see most often is a three-headed Hydra ripping employees apart. One head, the project manager, is pulling toward meeting deadlines and budgets. Another head, functional/business side leadership, is pulling toward another set of goals. The third head, representing customer needs and wants, pulls harder and harder in new directions. It’s not a pretty sight.

Accountability today is as much about building relationships as it is about authority. Accountability is increased when there is support, …