Being Accountable When You Don’t Have Control

Article: https://www.lianedavey.com/being-accountable-when-you-dont-have-control/

Notes

• Clarify your manager’s expectations: what, why, when, and who.

• When approaching a colleage:

  • Share the requirements.

  • Ask for required steps, and estimates.

  • Ask what else is on their plate, and how this task fits within their priorities.

  • Share the stakes: communicate the importance, where it fits in with other initiatives, how it affects stakeholders, and the ramifications if you cannot deliver.

  • If the person is on another team, have their manager and yours present.

  • Set up a tracker. Document the plan, milestones, and deadlines. Configure automatic reminders instead of nagging personally.

  • Set up recurring meeting to share emerging challenges.

  • Express gratitude that the person is sharing their concerns rather than showing frustration.

  • If possible, remove the roadblocks, otherwise escalate them to the manager.

  • When escalating don’t handoff the accountability. Instead, ask for advice and coaching.

  • If the colleage falls behind on delivery, provide the feedback using the following structure:

    • Orient to the Situation: in the plan, you committed to having the code done on Tuesday.

    • Describe their Behavior: It’s Thursday, and you haven’t finished it yet.

    • Share the Impact: I’m getting worried that I’ll only have three days for quality testing.

    • Hand Over Accountability: What would it take to get this by the end of the day?

  • After delivery take time for reflection, build relationships, foster empathy and trust.

Conclusion

This framework spells out a common sense approach to being accountable without having control. Going through this check list ensures efficient collaboration and improves relationships, if done properly.