Accountability on Steroids – Part 2

Living Example: One CEO’s Story of Creating an Accountable Culture

Cathy McCullough, M.S.

Leadership Coach, Speaker, Author

4½ minute read

In my last blog, I shared a few thoughts about where to begin building higher levels of accountability within your place of business. This blog continues that journey by sharing a case study of one CEO’s personal experience with building accountability.

One way to put accountability on steroids within your organization is to create a framework that sets expectations for every single person (including the C-Suite). One way to create this framework is through the creation of what we’ve all heard of as “Core Values.” The problem is that most Core Values are created by pulling out some key words that seem really good and ‘nice’ and then having these words printed and/or displayed proudly in some prominent spot. Problem is: They’re just a bunch of words. There’s no actual depth or meaning to them within the highways and byways of everyday organizational life. As a result, they get a really bum wrap as being stupid and meaningless.

Done correctly, Core Values (that are operationalized) serve as guideposts; they take the guess-work out of decision-making for you, other leaders, managers, as well as for all the people who have to make decisions as they do their day-to-day work. In short, operationalized Core Values give people expectations and predictability.  

Core Values – A Living Example of Building Accountability

Jim Tobin, CEO of Ignite Social Media, recently wrote a 3-minute read entitled, “Core Values are stupid…until they’re not.” His article is based on his own personal experience of how creating and operationalizing Core Values helped him set the stage for higher-levels of accountability. (Link to article: https://www.inc.com/inc-masters/core-values-are-stupid-until-theyre-not.html)

I had the pleasure of facilitating Jim and his team through their Values Discovery Process. Here’s an excerpt from the email I received from Jim just four months after their Values Discovery session:  

Cathy: Just thought I’d write you a note. I was thinking about Core Values yesterday, and I was thinking about how meaningless I thought they were just a short time ago. I thought they were over-word-smithed pieces of tripe that were framed and hung in a bathroom somewhere. Pointless exercises. But I realized yesterday how much we’ve changed since we identified these values [four months ago] and really began to live by them.

• We’ve terminated people because of them;
• We’ve redone our org chart because of them;
• We’ve built new client teams because of them; 
• We’ve changed our meeting cadence because of them;
• We’re rewarding staff differently because of them; and
• We’ve considered new business based on them.

That’s a pretty big deal. 

The difference in this company between now and four months ago is amazing. The onsite and then afterwards was truly an amazing time for us. I was in a fragile place four months ago–exhausted, out of energy, beginning to not care, etc. This model has helped us beyond belief. Our recent growth has been stunning, and we are so much better able to sustain that growth. We’ve made some tough people decisions, but all is well with those changes; things are moving forward. Absolutely incredible.

Leadership Lessons for the Road

• If you have Core Values but haven’t really been using them in meaningful ways, then you might begin the transition now.
• If you’ve yet to fully define the few five to seven Values that matter most, then reach out and define what those Values are, and begin to make the shift.
• As you begin to create a culture based on your stated Values, you’ll have a transition time, and that can be tough (especially in uncertain times).
• Communicate, over and over, how this set of Values will begin to define the company, how it will give clearer predictability and certainty (especially if many of your people are working remotely).
• Reference them, talk about them, lead with them, validate them, praise people who are living them, incorporate them into your performance management processes, tell stories about them, let them help you open a difficult performance discussion.

In short, Core Values are foundational for setting the right kind of accountability. As Tobin notes, they’ll serve you well if you honor them and use them. 

It was Jim Collins who said that one of a leader’s top strategic priorities is to “Preserve the Core” while also “Stimulating Progress.” The foundation of your business operations (your Core Values) helps preserve your core so you can stimulate progress without so much drama and exhaustion.

After just a month or two, you’ll begin to see the emergence of a sense of stability and the calmness this stability offers you and those around you. No more guessing; no more wondering. 

Keep Moving Forward…

Core Values ground you and give you a sense of control. They’re predictable; they’re manageable; they’re leadable. With the world having gone through the shifts its encountered over the past year, people are craving predictability. They’re striving for clear guidelines as they navigate the messy path of simply not knowing what’s next. 

Core Values are a great start to providing a foundation that’s stable, predictable, and firm. In addition, 100% of your people will know that accountability matters (vs. having little accountability at all, or random moments when the mood strikes to suddenly hold someone accountable.) If you want to increase productivity, now is the time to start putting accountability on steroids in your organization.

• Challenge yourself to do what other leaders, such as Jim Tobin, have dared to do. Give yourself and other leaders in your company the space to learn how to build higher levels of personal accountability.
• Share your intent. Why even worry about Values? Because they give everyone a consistent foundation; because they help minimize ‘surprises’ and maximize consistency; because they provide a unwavering guidepost for making tough decisions (especially in challenging times); because they help define a culture of what it’s like to work here. They bring our organization to life. They give us a sense of pride. 
• Be authentic and transparent. As we’re entering a new year, lift up your Values by explaining to everyone the role they play in your organization. Share how you arrived at your set of Core Values, and give specific examples of what each Value “looks like” in action.
• Let people know the three criteria for ‘testing’ whether or not Core Values are actually your “Core Values”:
  • The organization will hire to them,
  • The organization will fire to them, and
  • The organization will take a financial hit to uphold them.
• Have a Values Discovery Session with your team: If getting started in building a sense of accountability is one too many things or just harder than you thought, get there quicker by pulling your team together for a Values Discovery Process. Go here to request an initial call with me for a 20-minute No Cost Consult about what this process entails. 

Sneak Peak: My next blog (Part III of this series) addresses the role of Moral Leadership in building personal accountability. Moral Leadership is about becoming a better version of yourself; however, becoming a better version of yourself isn’t the sole purpose. In short, Moral Leadership equals positive business results, too.