Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators

Chapter 6. OVERCOMING DYSFUNCTION #4

EMBRACING ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability. It's a word that has become so overused, and misused, within the halls of many companies that it has lost much of its power. When it comes to teamwork, I define accountability as the willingness of team members to remind one another when they are not living up to the performance standards of the group.

Note

Peer pressure and the distaste for letting down a colleague will motivate a team player more than any fear of authoritative punishment or rebuke.

The key to this kind of accountability is that it shouldn't always require the participation of the team leader. It is direct, peer-to-peer accountability, and it is based on the notion that peer pressure and the distaste for ...