Organizations are made up of teams. The sales department is a team. Customer service is a team. Accounting is a team. There is an executive team. This goes on and on. You get the idea. There are also special project teams where people are brought together from across the organization or within a department to solve a specific issue. This team may have a sunset when the problem is solved.
As team members many times we serve in situations where we are members of one team but lead another team. Our roles on different teams change as the purpose and mission of the team varies.
There are teams who seem to get the job done and then there are accountable teams. The Accountable Team™ works more effectively, achieves at a higher level and ultimately creates an environment where everyone can become their very best. All accountable teams have five critical elements in place.
Belief
Members of The Accountable Team know what they believe. They believe that they can solve problems, overcome obstacles and that the mission drives discussions and actions. The Accountable Team doesn’t spend time discussing what cannot be done. They focus on what they can do, where their strengths are and application of those strengths as possible solutions to a problem or challenge.
Belief drives attitude and action. All actions taken are driven by a belief structure. Beliefs based in abundance and “can do” attitude deliver actions that solve problems and allow for superior goal achievement.
Accountability
The Accountable Team is made up of individuals who understand the elements of Proactive Accountability™. They know what their right things are. They know how to manage their space. They know how to manage the process. They know the importance of establishing the right expectations. And, ultimately they know the importance of contributing to relationships.
Members of accountable teams apply accountability on an individual basis and create an environment where these skills and attributes flourish on a group level. Members know the language of accountability and speak it. They don’t make excuses and they don’t accept them from others either.
Leadership
The Accountable Team will always have accountable leadership. Accountable Leaders™ are the same in public as they are in private. The Accountable Leader lives by a code of ethics that is demonstrated in their actions. The Accountable Leader trusts, respects and executes on a different level. They value people more then things. Accountable leaders lead through and with people. They understand that you lead people and manage things. Everyone on the team knows the values of The Accountable Leader.
Innovation
The Accountable Team is innovative. They recognize that innovation is improving a process, making a process more efficient and making it simpler.
Creativity is the process of coming up with ideas. Innovation is taking those ideas and making them part of the value equation. Innovation drives simplification and creates opportunity for growth. Innovation allows The Accountable Team to better solve challenges and reach goals.
A mindset of innovation frees The Accountable Team from the shackles of how things have been done in the past and opens the door to new methods, opportunities and greater results.
Influence
The Accountable Team understands the power of influence and the power of words. They encourage each other to go beyond what they know they can do and operate in the realm of the impossible made possible. They fundamentally understand that words shape our world and this is an area they do not compromise.
Influence that comes from position or title is short lived. Using personal power to exert influence is also limited in its long-term effectiveness. True influence comes from serving others. It comes from investing in people. And, it comes from knowing what your Non- negotiables™ are and other people seeing you stick to them.
When a team comes together and all five of these elements are in place the ordinary teams transforms into The Accountable Team. The Accountable Team will always outpace, outproduce and outperform an ordinary team. The Accountable Team delivers results and becomes a critical element of an accountable organization.
