Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea
Op-ed #27
What is your key?
Fact: Accountability
Back in my coaching days I would shout to my team, “what’s the key?” and they would respond in unison, “intensity.” Yes, I wanted my team to think in terms of intensity, but perhaps more importantly, this became a bit of a rallying cry for us, especially when we were down. I was trying to build a culture of intense players.
Today, as a principal or superintendent, standing before a group of teachers, if I was to ask “what’s my key?” I would like the group to respond in unison “accountability.” We can all laugh out loud now. Yes, I know that it would never happen. Maybe I am being ridiculous. But what is so frightening about accountability? Yet, be that as it may, I think for many people accountability is a dirty word.
I recently read an article which spoke about how asking teachers to be accountable is probably one of the worst things one can do when trying to build a culture in a school. The authors argued that it will encourage a “gotcha” mentality and asking people to be accountable would be deleterious to the culture of the organization. I could not disagree more. There is nothing wrong with being held accountable, or asking for accountability. A good worker should embrace it.
In these difficult times of the COVID pandemic, I have personally seen people run and hide from their job responsibilities. It seemed as though their goal was to do as little as possible and yet be paid their full salary. Is asking someone to do a legitimate day’s work for a legitimate day’s pay that far out of line? Once again, I do not believe it is out of line. Schools should expect accountability. Taxpayers should expect that teachers, principals, and all school employees, be held accountable. And yet overall, this does not happen.
I think it all starts with a person holding themselves accountable. This aspect of a good work ethic must start very early in one’s career. We have had the discussion about work ethic and the question of whether or not it is in one’s DNA previously on these pages. I do not think that possessing a good work ethic is somehow etched in your DNA. I do believe that possessing a good work ethic is a result of how we were nurtured. This nurturing process begins very early in life.
However, parents and employers have stopped holding people accountable because many times the leader decides that it is just not worth the effort. It is not worth the fight. Parents and leaders are too tired to embrace this battle. The leader would rather accept subpar work or re-do it him or herself. I have sat in meetings across the desk from an employee and the union delegate where I have tried to hold that employee accountable and I was thinking to myself, why did I put myself in this position? Is it worth it? I was only asking a person to just do their job! And when this happens the pervasive lack of accountability just keeps rolling along.
The next think that I think has to happen is that we have to step up to the plate and hold each other accountable. There is a way to model the right way and encourage your neighbor to do the same. But perhaps, on the job, we are just too concerned about making friends rather than doing the right thing. We do not want to ruffle anyone’s feathers.
So, as we close today’s article, I want everyone to consider the concept of accountability and to start with self-accountability. And when you do this, quit lying to yourself. Answer the question honestly. Do you hold yourself accountable for your actions and the quality of the work that you do? I remain convinced that we will never move forward until we get this self-accountability thing down.
To all of my school principal friends out there, as you prepare to onboard your new teachers, figure out a way to prioritize accountability. Make accountability your key and maybe when you ask your new teachers, just like I asked my players about their key, you will hear the response that you are looking for. ACCOUNTABILITY.
