There are several factors you have to consider when building a high-performance team. One of these is team accountability. As a leader, you should work towards developing accountability in the team so that everyone knows what their parts of the job are and how they contribute to overall team success. So how do you develop team accountability? In this guide, Jay Holstine walks you through the whole process.
Building a More Accountable Team by Jay Holstine
Here are a few tips to help you build a more accountable team.
1. Assess Where You Stand
Think about where you stand as a team and where you want to be. With a greater understanding of this, you will start thinking about how you can bridge the gap, which is essential to build team accountability.
2. Have Clear Expectations
Your team should know what you expect of them- they should know the end goals, how they are expected to work towards those goals, what individual responsibilities are, and so on. With ample know-how, it can become much easier for them to work their way through things.
3. Allow for Two Way Communication
While you should also be one to give instructions to your team, it is important that you also listen to them to understand what they think. When you let them talk to you openly, it helps you gain insight.
4. Assign Tasks Individually
As a team leader, you should know what people’s strengths are and assign them tasks according to that. Then, when you assign people individual tasks, you naturally allow more accountability from their end. That way, they will know what they are expected to turn in and by what time. This can help them understand their part of the task that must be done, says Jay Holstine.
5. Follow Up
After you have assigned people tasks to do, it is your responsibility to follow up with them in due time. This is one of the best ways to ensure that people keep being reminded of their part of the work that has to be done.
6. Help People Get to Know Each Other
It is vital to have a lot of trust in the team for everyone to work together on what is required of them. Jay Holstine says that when team members get to know each other better, it helps them work together as a team, which eventually helps build accountability. With greater synergy, it becomes easier to achieve team goals.
7. Celebrate Successes
If your team achieves something that you are super proud of, celebrate their success. It is the small wins that keep motivating them to do better. It allows them to slowly work their way through understanding what is required, and that way, they keep doing their best.
Final Words by Jay Holstine
With these valuable tips by Jay Holstine on building a more responsible team, you will notice a change in the way people work. They will be more inclined towards pitting in the hard work that is required of them, which eventually impacts overall performance in the team too.