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As odd as it may sound, the behavior that produces accountability is complaining. We could also call this providing feedback that addresses what is missing.
Here is an example:
- John promises Linda he will have the new design on her desk Wednesday at 10 a.m.
- John delivers the design at 9:30 a.m.
- Linda reviews the design later that day and find that it is not complete according to her request
- Linda fills in the missing elements and passes the design on to the client
In this scenario, you could say that John is being responsible since he delivered the design on time but is not acting accountably since he failed to deliver the promised design. However, it turns out that Linda is the one who has the power to either reinforce accountability in the organization or allow a lack of accountability to grow. If Linda wants to promote accountability, she would have a conversation with John to request the missing elements and set a time for their delivery or, in other words, lodge a complaint. Without the complaint, John may be unaware that the design he gave to Linda did not fulfill his promise to her. This acknowledgment is at the core of building a culture of accountability.
Curiously, lodging responsible complaints, or even direct, meaningful feedback, is rarely a behavior we see in the organizations in which we work. Why? Two reasons: First, people tend to confuse ‘complaining’ with ‘whining.’ A complaint is always based on an unfulfilled promise, while whining occurs when our expectations are not met. Second, most people see ‘lodging a complaint’ as a ‘difficult conversation’ and therefore avoid it. The result? A growing culture of unaccountability.
Solution:
- Use a model for action conversations that includes clear promises.
- Teach people in your organization the value of complaining in a constructive way and to receive feedback as a valued part of building a healthy organization.
- Train people to initiate and engage in ‘difficult’ conversations with a sense of ease and purpose.
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