Accountability: A Key to Benefits Realization

Craig is based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and has worked with ProjectManagement.com for the last six years developing the various HEADWAY processes (Project, Change and Portfolio). He has hosted a series of webinars and is a business intelligence subject matter expert.

  Benefits Realization   Business Case   Governance   Leadership   Strategy  

Have you ever worked on a project where commitments were just talk? Where promises were tossed around like candy at a parade? Where a project obligation could be broken with little consequence or even followup to ask why?

In other words, no one was being held accountable for those failed commitments. Life on the project continued on without anyone really batting an eye. The end benefits for the project where never realized and the excuses for this were probably numerous. How did that make you feel? Frustrated? Exasperated? Confused?

Conversely, have you worked in an organization where when a commitment was made, you felt that someone was taking full responsibility for ensuring the result? You knew that someone's word wasn't just fluff but that it actually meant something? How did that make you feel? Confident? Assured? Supportive?

When accountability exists on a project, it makes everyone feel like the project is headed in the right direction, and that the ends results will be achieved. There was accountability in place. When accountability exists in an organization and on a project, there will be a much greater likelihood that the benefits will be fully realized.

And by accountability, I mean punishment? Right?

No, not quite.

First, let me define what I mean by accountability--and I will start by defining what accountability is not. When we hear the …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.