A lot of people want more accountability from their employees, partners, family members, and friends. The same people often need more personal accountability for communicating expectations clearly.
One of my favorite quips is: people can’t meet expectations they don’t know exist.
All of us are walking around expecting other people to do certain things, behave in certain ways, and meet certain unwritten (and unspoken) rules that live only in our own heads. This is a recipe for failure and explosive arguments.
We’d be much better off documenting and/or communicating our expectations. This can be through formal operating procedures, difficult performance conversations, or just informal chats.
Once the expectations are spoken and understood, only then is it fair to hold people accountable for meeting them. Tell them when and how to meet them and let them know if you’ll be watching or following up.
So much of accountability is simply not expecting people to be mind readers – and then being disappointed and frustrated when they aren’t!
Clarify your expectations, and then expect accountability, but only in that order. And always remember (and feel free to hear me saying): people can’t meet expectations they don’t know exist.
Want these blog posts delivered straight to your inbox each week? Click here to subscribe.
Follow us on social media at the links below.
