About two months ago I asked the question on several LinkedIn Groups “What is so difficult about teamwork?” I received well over 200 responses. My intention was to rank each of them and then figure out ways we can create better teamwork.
Today we will discuss obstacle number Ten, our final obstacle – “Lack of Accountability.”
To access the posts on all of the teamwork barriers click here.
- Lack of a competent leader (27)
- Lack of goals and goal alignment (26)
- Individuals focused on themselves and not the team (21)
- Lack of understanding of team members (20)
- Lack of clarity on team roles, and/or the purpose and vision of the team (15)
- Lack of focus on team rewards and appreciation (12)
- Lack of spending time together as a team (9)
- Poor communication (8)
- Lack of trust (7)
- Lack of accountability (6)
Lack of accountability can be a big obstacle on teams. On many teams only the leader holds team members accountable. But on high performing teams, the team members hold each other accountable. When team members are focused on the results together, they are more likely to hold one another accountable. This is very common on sports team. For example, a football receiver drops the ball and then the quarterback immediately holds him accountable by letting him know he needs to focus. Everyone on the team is working towards the same goal, to win the game. Individual recognition is set aside for the betterment of the team.
So, how do you ensure your teams are accountable? What stories do you have to tell when it worked and when it didn’t? Please provide your comments below. We look forward to hearing them. Thanks!
Mike Rogers
http://www.secondg.net
Follow Mike on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/secondgleader
Join our Teamwork Group on Linkedin http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/2232816/
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