Do you Intimidate people while trying to hold them accountable?

This is something I have been thinking for a while now. Do I intimidate people while making them accountable? And if I do so, then why? First, do they understand the difference between responsibility and accountability. Responsibility refers to something you are supposed to do or expected to do but accountability is something that you are supposed to do plus also being answerable for the actions. Let’s look at one example: in a soccer team, all the players are responsible to play well in their positions and win the game for the team but when the team loses or does not perform well in a season, manager of the team gets fired. Why? Because players individually are not accountable for the overall outcome of the game, they are responsible, but the manager is accountable because he decides who will play in the game and in what positions. He decides who needs to be substituted. Similarly, if you are a Project Manager of a team, you are accountable for your team’s performance and team members are responsible to follow your direction.

Now, if you are not in a leading position you may think you have no accountability. WRONG!! You may not be accountable for your team, but you are for your own work. Now let’s look at the previous example one more time: a striker in a soccer game may not be accountable or responsible for his team conceding goals and losing but he is responsible to score goals and he is accountable if he does not score goals. Likewise, if you are a coder then you will be accountable to write quality codes, if you are a designer then to provide quality designs.

How do you hold people accountable? Asking them why you did not do the work or deliver it on time will make them feel intimidated. And once they feel that way, they will become defensive and once it happens blame game will start; because of this I could not do it or that person did not do their job, so it effected mine or you did not tell me earlier and so on. Trick is to hold them accountable without them feeling it.

Few things can be considered:

·        Make them believe they are part of the team and they have something to contribute. You can never hold anyone accountable if they think they have nothing to chip in and they don’t matter to the team. You also need to believe it in yourself.

·        Never discourage ideas or suggestions; if they feel they are being heard they will put extra effort without you having to tell them.

·        Reward members who works hard to get things done; it will create a healthy environment inside the team.

·        Small talks are equally important just like big meetings; it shows that you care and makes you approachable.

·        Share good performances in front of team but bad ones in private.

·        It is also important to get rid of people if you feel they are spreading negativity and discouraging others.

·        Always try to keep your calm; if you lose it then you may become a laughing stock during lunch hours and a topic of gossip. Think of a young child; if you keep shouting at them for every mistake they make then they will stop caring for anything you say.

·        If someone is under performing, try to find out the reason behind it instead of sending angry messages or emails.

Let me know if you agree or disagree, thank you.