Why There’s Anxiety in Accountability

“It’s not personal.”

In leaders, enforcing accountability can create significant anxiety. Leaders speak about holding people accountable, but their actions are often incongruent with those words. So, why is holding people accountable so difficult? Maybe because it feels personal, which can cause unforeseen problems.

Why Familiarity Breeds Contempt

When leaders begin to know people in the workplace on a personal level, doing what may hurt them seems unpleasant, so we may ignore it. Accountability is not about unpleasantness or hurting someone, but about accomplishing the mission. The phrase “Familiarity breeds contempt” is attributed to many sources. Whoever said it is not as important as what it means in the workplace.

If leaders get too close to coworkers, it’s hard to hold them accountable because coworkers may take it personally. Coworkers believe they know the leaders’ flaws and shortcomings, so who is the leader to hold them accountable to standards?

The answer to that question is simple: “Because the leader is the boss.”

It is the immature person who places their professional shortcomings against your leadership responsibilities. The best solution is to make it into counseling and coachable moments, which are also part of a leader’s responsibilities.

Counseling is Crucial

Counseling is not just an assessment of performance, but a means for accountability. Done properly, performance counseling can set coworkers up for success by establishing expectations, building performance partnerships, and encouraging self-correction.

Constructive feedback is not always pleasant, but it should serve its intended purpose: To provide feedback and improve performance in a positive manner. Isn’t that a major factor in counseling?

As a leader, remove the anxiety from accountability by not becoming overly familiar with coworkers, conduct critical counseling, and use constructive feedback. The results are well worth it.

Are you having problems holding people accountable? Contact Dr. Randolph, a proven accountability expert, at info@mywingmanllc.com or call toll-free at 866-242-2260.