Ballmer is right. Holding people accountable for results plus getting them to take accountability for achieving even greater results in the future is indeed a major leadership challenge and one that we have addressed in our consulting and training practice over the last two decades. Developing such a yin-yang balance between the two—holding people accountable while helping them take accountability—is greatly enhanced when the third dimension we call “building an accountable culture” is introduced. In short, there are three dimensions to achieving a balanced and comprehensive approach to creating greater accountability: Self, Culture and Others.

-Self:  Taking Personal Accountability. Lays a foundation of personal accountability, helping people embrace their own accountability for achieving organizational results by continually asking the question, “What else can I do?” to overcome obstacles and achieve the result.

-Culture: Building An Accountable Culture. Builds on the personal accountability foundation to create a Culture of Accountability, helping individuals, teams, and entire organizations think and act differently by identifying and internalizing the needed Cultural Beliefs to achieve greater results now and in the future.

-Others: Holding Others Accountable. Focuses on implementing accountability throughout the organization, helping people effectively hold others accountable for results so everyone in the organization can deliver on expectations and follow-through on what is required to be successful.

These three dimensions, or Tracks as we call them, bring a crucial yin-yang balance to accountability, allowing organizations to achieve key results, such as increasing revenues and profitability, reducing costs, and successfully implementing major organizational initiatives. Time and again, the world’s best organizations have shown that greater accountability produces results, lifts morale, and develops individual and organizational capability. Achieving such a yin-yang balance in accountability, as Steve Ballmer confirms, is the quest of every organizational leader because nothing creates more energy and power in an organization than complete, stem-to-stern accountability.

To learn more about the Three Tracks to Greater Accountability (Self, Culture, Others), go to www.ozprinciple.com.

One of our clients, a major Fortune 100 organi­zation, “ADH,” illustrates the value of getting to the truth. ADH manufactured a medication designed to treat a medical condition that affected a relatively small number of patients. The drug had been on the market for several years, but new business circumstances persuaded ADH to stop manufactur­ing the product. A few weeks later, when a father whose young daughter depended on the drug attempted to refill her prescription, he discovered the drug was on back-order. Little did he know that ADH was in the process of selling out its supply of the drug before ceasing production altogether. Unable to obtain the drug, the increasingly distraught father wrote a letter to ADH’s president explaining his distress. The president, in turn, asked “Bill,” a senior ADH executive, to follow up.

As Bill responded to the situation, he discovered that no one—including doctors, pharmacies, consumers, and employees—knew that the drug would soon be discontinued. Going further, he found an available generic drug that could effectively replace ADH’s product. He quickly communicated the information to a grateful father, who immediately went to the pharmacy at a university medical center. However, when he got there, the pharmacist and a resident dietician told him that the inactive ingredients in the generic drug differed from ADH’s formula. “The generic drug would not provide an acceptable substitution.”

More communication with the frantic father only deepened Bill’s resolve to get to the truth. He immediately contacted the manufacturer of the generic drug and, after several discussions, determined that the generic alterna­tive was a perfectly suitable substitute. Bill called the father again to explain the science behind the generic drug and its suitability for his daughter’s condition. After that, he called the uni­versity pharmacy to explain it to them as well. Then he put his organization to work preparing a letter for distribution to doctors and pharmacists throughout the nation, detailing the suitability of the generic drug as a replacement.

Bill’s deep commitment to getting to the truth not only helped people solve a short-term problem, but also strengthened ADH’s culture. Bill’s story, and others like it, have been told and retold thousands of times throughout ADH. A less accountable person in a less accountable culture might have simply told the father, “We’re discontinuing the product. You’ll need to work with your doctor to find a suitable solution.” Instead, he got real.

Before Drew spoke a word, Jerry confidently took charge. “This is about Amy, isn’t it? I spent a lot of extra time training her, but she made the same error again. I’m sorry, I know her carelessness has once again cost us a few hundred dollars. Do you think we should let her go?”

Drew remained silent, astonished by the similarity of the circumstances—two different mistakes, two different people, two levels of impact.

Feeling uncomfortable with the silence, Jerry continued, “On the other hand, so much of her work is commendable and praiseworthy. I could continue to work with her to make sure she doesn’t make this mistake again. What do you think?”

“It’s your decision,” Drew said, observing Jerry closely. “You need to do what you think is right and best for the organization.”

Jerry nodded. A few seconds passed before he spoke again. “I guess I’ll keep her in the position for now. I can work harder to teach her and see how it goes. Thank you.”

As Jerry got up and turned to leave, Drew said, “Hang on a minute, I have something to show you.” He then handed Jerry the month-end report and pointed to the error. “Do you remember making this mistake last month?”

Jerry’s face turned beet red as he slowly and quietly acknowledged the error. “I can’t believe I made the same mistake again. I just wasn’t paying attention—”

“Carelessness?” Drew asked, interrupting.

Jerry nodded, looking humbled and embarrassed.

“I can work harder to teach you and see how it goes,” Drew said with a slight smile.

“Thank you. It won’t happen again,” Jerry said as he headed for the door. Before leaving the office, he turned and asked, “What if I had decided to terminate Amy?”

Drew became serious again. “I’m glad you judged her situation as you did. There’s so much of what you do in your job that is commendable and praiseworthy.”

Mistakes are a common part of individual and organizational life—and everyone deserves chances to learn from their mistakes—but repeated mistakes and unfulfilled expectations, caused by inattention or carelessness, cannot be tolerated for long. When people in your organization fail to meet expectations because of a deficiency or inadequacy, you have to work to solve the problem in a way that prevents it from occurring again.  These accountability conversations are the first step to changing the course of unmet expectations. As in the story above with Drew, the accountability conversation with Jerry was thoughtful and instructive—all done with the eye towards building an organization.

Every accountability conversation will create an impression of the kind of accountability you are creating in your organization.  Is it the recriminating kind, the kind of the accountability that happens to you when things go wrong?  Or is it the kind that is designed to build and strengthen individual and organizational capability, the kind that people want more of?

To be most effective, accountability should not be something that happens to you, but something you choose to make happen.  As we see it, accountability is a choice—a decision to rise above one’s circumstances and exhibit the ownership and investment necessary to overcome obstacles and achieve the results you want to get.  That kind of accountability is produced by positive conversations that build capability and motivate performance.

You may want to use the complimentary Accountability Assessments at www.ozprinciple.com to help you assess how you are doing.  You can even use the assessments to gather feedback on how accountability is being implemented on your team or organization.

Having the right kind of accountability conversations will reinforce the kind of accountability that produces results for your team or organization.

Ownership among a group of people for a goal, dream, result, or triumph, is a remarkably powerful force, whether in football, business, or life in general. Individuals, teams, and organizations that attain the highest levels of ownership, as exemplified by the New Orleans Saints, can achieve the impossible. So how can you and your team achieve such levels of ownership? Let’s begin with a definition of ownership. We define it as the ability to tie where you are with what you have done and where you want to be with what you are going to do. In our view, if you cannot “make the tie” then you don’t Own It. This definition includes: (1) being personally invested in the situation, (2) acknowledging your involvement, (3) creating and maintaining a sense of alignment, and (4) committing to your personal and team objectives. Think of the power your organization would have if everyone in it were fully, deeply, personally committed to achieving the desired organizational results. Personal commitment—ownership—lies at the heart of accountability and thus at the core of every Culture of Accountability. So, what level of ownership does your team or organization exhibit? Consider the following four levels of ownership and which one best describes your team or organization.

-Resist/Resent. At the lowest level of ownership, people disagree intellectually with the course of action or desired result and are not emotionally involved, at least not with positive emotions. They have committed neither their minds nor their hearts to the endeavor. People at this level of ownership do not recognize a need to change, resent being asked to do things differently, and resist efforts to move forward.

-Exempt/Excuse. People at this level of ownership agree intellectually but are uninvolved emotionally. Either they consider themselves exempt because they’re “too busy,” or they make excuses because they “can’t get to it.” People at this level of ownership will not move forward. They may think change is a good idea, but it applies to everyone except them.

-Comply/Concede. People at this level disagree with or are uncertain about the endeavor from an intellectual standpoint, but they’re emotionally invested enough, on the grounds of loyalty, professionalism, or other considerations, to take action. People who comply with requests and concede to move forward can often produce solid results. However, while they may be aligned with an organizational direction, people at this level can still lack what it’s really going to take to get the desired result.

-Buy-in/Invested. At the highest level of ownership, people agree with a course of action intellectually and have an emotional desire to actively participate. Both their minds and hearts are engaged and they are thoroughly invested and vigorously involved. These people find it easy to “sign up” and readily see the advantages that they and their team or organization will gain by buying-in and becoming fully invested.

Helping people, teams, and organizations reach the highest levels of ownership is one of management’s greatest challenges, particularly during times of difficulty and change. But it’s certainly worth the effort, because one committed and engaged person is worth ten who are less committed and engaged. The most effective leaders are those who work tirelessly to move people to higher levels of ownership, just as head coach Sean Payton did with the New Orleans Saints. He changed the team’s culture from “hoping to win,” to “expecting to win,” by not only exemplifying his own high level of ownership for results but also by constantly challenging and guiding his team to “own” what it takes to win an NFL Championship. Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for their Super Bowl win and to the people of New Orleans for showing us what it means to “own” a comeback.

The first step Above the Line, and the giant step towards greater accountability, is to See It.  People, and organizations, who are able to See It distinguish themselves with their emphasis on getting feedback on a constant basis from everyone.  In fact, they may seem a little carried away as they seek feedback before meetings dismiss, from their peers at lunch, from other teams in the organization—constantly looking for information to help them discover what the real “truth” is so that they can deal with reality and get results.

The first step towards greater accountability is to acknowledge the truth, which, when it comes to people’s perceptions, can be a relative thing—every stakeholder (customers, vendors, bosses, peers, team members, employees, the board) will see things a little differently depending on where they sit.  The benefit of knowing those perspectives, and then acting upon them, allows you to take greater accountability and impact results in a way that, otherwise, would not be available to you.

Accountable people demonstrate what we call the See It best practices of persistently accountable people and organizations. Here are four of these best practices:

1. Obtaining the perspective of others. The only way you get the perspectives of others is to communicate openly, ask for their views and then listen.  This means asking everyone—customers, vendors, suppliers, peers, team members—everyone.
2. Communicating openly and candidly.  Telling people the “truth” as you perceive it and then getting them to do the same with you facilitates the ability for everyone to be accountable.
3. Asking for and offering feedback.  It is essential that you create an environment where everyone is accountable to share feedback—that it is expected and that you want it.
4. Hearing the hard things to see reality.  You have to have a commitment to hear the things that may be hard to hear or you will frequently miss the information that could enable you to achieve the result.

The same is true for organizations.  Those that fail to create work environments where feedback is frequently and freely offered and obtained cannot develop the kind of accountability that gets everyone in the organization focused on results and asking “what else can I do to achieve the result?”

Without feedback flowing in the organization, there is little chance of getting to the “truth” about both why people do what they do and what should be done differently to make sure the job gets done, but also to ensure the ball is not getting dropped somewhere else.

Actively seeking feedback means asking the full range of people you hold accountable for feedback. Only then, can you expect to unleash the true potential of your people and your organization. Feedback creates accountable people and organizations.

To seek feedback from your team and others in the organization go to www.ozprinciple.com and access complimentary assessments.

We have learned some important lessons as a result of helping thousands of people at every job level in organizations all across the world develop greater accountability for giving, receiving and acting upon feedback. That experience has both reconfirmed and taught us several valuable lessons about feedback. Here are ten of those lessons:

1. Feedback doesn’t happen unless you make it happen.
2. People tend to stop giving feedback over time, even if they once did it frequently.
3. It is easier to give appreciative feedback than it is to deliver con­structive feedback.
4. People often do not act on feedback without some sort of follow-up.
5. It is easier to filter feedback than to accept it.
6. People more fully appreciate the feedback they receive after they have applied it and seen its impact on their results.
7. Feedback declines after people improve because they assume it’s no longer necessary.
8. People struggle to know how to respond to the feedback they receive.
9. People typically fear receiving constructive feedback because they see it as criticism rather than helpful input.
10. Organizations always underestimate the difficulty of getting people to give and receive feedback.

One successful executive with one of our clients told us that, in his view, there is no better way to show genuine respect for people in the busi­ness than by offering them direct, honest feedback—particularly con­structive feedback intended to help them improve their performance. We’d like to share with you the way he puts it: “Do you think not giving feedback to somebody is respectful? Is going around them to their boss respectful? Is going to a peer in the hopes that they will mention something respectful? I often remind myself that delivering a tough message is the ultimate way in which I dem­onstrate respect to another human being. When I do this I put my fears aside and instead put their needs first, telling them what they need to hear. I have learned to deal with my discomfort while giving a difficult message and to not procrastinate in its delivery. That is one way I show respect for people.”

Hear Ginger Graham, Former President & CEO of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, talk about how she used the feedback process to impact results in her organization.

When you’re not getting the feedback that you need, go out and ask for it.  If people are not getting the feedback they need, go out and offer it.  The ability to give, receive and act upon feedback is conspicuously visible and readily observable in accountable people—because without it, accountability will inevitably wane.

Surprisingly, for many people, the number of formal learning hours through technology-based methods is decreasing after years of rapid growth. At the same time, instructor-led, real-time learning events are increasing—currently, instructor-led learning events account for almost two-thirds of total learning hours. While e-learning trends have enriched and enhanced training and development experiences in most organizations, the demand for instructor-led training continues to grow. Why? Because culture-shifts, performance-turnarounds, and high impact interventions, in general, are most effectively accomplished through instructor-led, real-time training and learning events. The real power of training lies in the leadership provided by instructors, facilitators, and change agents, who know how to help individuals and organizations reach new heights. The right training at the right time, implemented in the right way, can make all the difference.

Our experience with hundreds of clients tells us that instructor-led, real-time training is not only vital, it is also increasingly important as organizations strive to become more agile, flexible, and change-ready. Whether you’re trying to increase revenue and profitability, reduce costs, or implement key initiatives in today’s business environment, individuals and organizations are constantly being asked to think and act differently to deal with changing circumstances—and that usually requires training delivered by instructors who know how to lead learning, facilitate change, and shift organizational cultures.

For example, consider the need to constantly link training initiatives to expected results. We recently worked with a grocery store chain that was implementing a region-wide training program designed to more fully engage customers. Every store in the region gave the program high marks, prais­ing the training as the best they had ever received. Those responsible for implementing the training celebrated the fact that almost 100 percent of the people scheduled for training received it on time and within budget. What’s more, they also took great pride in the fact that the training effort had brought an initial increase in sales of about $5 million to the region. However, follow-up studies revealed that only about 15 percent of the people who underwent the training were actually using what they learned. Not surprisingly, the expected result of an additional $25 million in sales never materialized. After debriefing the project, we helped the implementation team realize that they had failed to link the training to the ongoing performance required to achieve the expected result of continued sales growth. Making sure everyone got trained was obviously not enough. The organization also had to ensure that everyone who went through the training actually applied it to their daily work—i.e., getting people to interact with customers and creating the necessary engagement to capture an additional $25 million in sales revenue within the next nine months. We helped the grocery chain implement a new round of instructor-led training that incorporated pre-training preparation and post training follow-up by the immediate super­visor of each employee. Every person who began the training did so with the belief that their store manager expected immediate application and follow-through. Nine months later, sales in the region had increased by over $30 million.

Effective, instructor-led training is an essential, and increasingly important, intervention tool for every organization in meeting today’s ever-changing market demands.

Throughout your Expectations Chain, you will have what we call “critical links” that you depend upon to ensure things keep moving forward, on time and on budget.  Undoubtedly, associated with each of those critical links will be a NED—a No Excuses Deadline.  For all of us, there comes a time when we need to deliver, no matter what.  Taking accountability for that outcome and asking “what else can I do?” to ensure delivery becomes critical.

Consider the recent example of a large retail chain experiencing serious declines in same-store revenues that threatened the on-going viability of the business.  With the clock ticking, they had implemented ten different initiatives to get things going again.  All had failed, but one.  The one initiative that was working involved our Accountability Training.  Not a surprise to us—when people take accountability for results, things happen and it was happening here in a major way.  The Accountability Training in pilot stores had produced immediate results and added several points to top-line sales, which would mean millions of dollars in additional revenue when the training was adopted company-wide.  Time was of the essence. We had to train management and implement within the stores company-wide to capture the opportunity the holiday season provided.

Several NEDs throughout the Expectations Chain had to be established.  First, the curriculum had to be finalized, people had to be trained, managers needed to be coached, and the company-wide launch needed to happen, all within a matter of days.  Missing anyone of these NEDs meant everything would be delayed and daily revenue targets would be missed.  Everyone knew how important it was to hit their NEDs and they did so with a remarkable degree of accuracy and quality.

Now, the client is seeing the impact in terms of increasing same-store sales and every result they set out to achieve is being delivered.  Establishing NEDs in your own work with the people you depend upon will not only clarify what sorts of deadlines you are working with, but also create greater alignment and clear communication so that expectations are fulfilled.

Creating a Culture of Accountability will have a powerful impact on results, because people consistently produce organizational success, human fulfillment and the creation of real value. But getting there represents more of an ongoing journey than an actual destination. Leaders, together with everyone else in the organization, must work continually to create and maintain such a culture. Consider this example from one of our clients about their journey toward building a Culture of Accountability. Every year the “Women’s Boutique,” a nationally branded chain, conducted a women’s suit contest, a sales event that lasted four weeks and included a companywide competition. Susan’s district, ten retail stores in Nevada, had always come in dead last in the contest because neither she nor her people believed they could sell suits in Nevada, especially in this economy. When a new regional manager told her that district managers fell into two groups—“owners” and “renters”—and that she was a “renter,” Susan finally woke up. She realized that her failure to ful­fill expectations had stemmed from an inability and unwillingness to get the people in her region to take accountability for achieving the desired results. With a commitment toward greater personal accountability, she persuaded her store managers that their collective excuses were preventing them from achieving better results. Together, they committed themselves to embracing and living the Steps to Accountability: to See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It.

Targeting the annual women’s suit contest as a sales event they all needed to own, Susan and her store managers became relentless in asking, “What else can I do to get the result?” Susan visited each store to provide coaching and assis­tance as store managers hosted VIP parties to get their people and preferred customers excited about the contest. They installed “Think Boxes” in every store, giving people a way to share their ideas about what else could be done to increase sales. People throughout the district quickly became engaged in thinking up new ways to draw more cus­tomers into the excitement, coming up with ideas such as offering customers the opportunity to win a Fossil Watch or a second suit for a penny. As Susan continued to meet one-on­-one with her store managers, they became more accountable for results. Four weeks later, when the suit contest ended, Susan’s district finished in first place. Her regional manager congratulated her on making the move from an entrenched “renter” to a solid “owner” of the business. She was even invited her to speak at a companywide conference about the transformation she had engineered in her district, “A lot of you know me. I’ve been with the company for twelve years and I have never been the number one district in anything before. What changed for me this year was I applied what I learned about how to help people take accountability, and it totally changed my life.” During the next three years, Susan’s district rose from the bottom 20% of the company’s 90 districts to the top 20%–further evidence that a  Culture of Accountability is the best kind of culture for creating sustained results.

Amid the hustle and bustle of gift giving, holiday celebrations with family and friends, and a few occasional moments of rest and relaxation, most of us inevitably find ourselves reflecting on the past year while anticipating the year to come. In the spirit of new year’s resolutions, that really work, we recommend developing a Personal Accountability Plan that includes: 1) the key results you want to achieve next year, 2) how you’ll use the Steps to Accountability—See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It—to deliver those results, and, 3) an Accountability Partner with whom you can share feedback, progress, and follow-up. Here’s one person’s story of how a Personal Accountability Plan can make a big impact on your life and the year(s) ahead.

Three years ago, Amber Riviere’s Personal Accountability Plan included finding an Accountability Partner who could help her stay on track toward achieving the results she wanted. Today, she’s delighted with her progress, “January marks three years that my accountability partner and I have been meeting, and I cannot say enough about how much it has improved my business … I’m more focused … I stay the course … I’m more honest and real … I make greater progress in less time … I concentrate more on results … I’m less likely to get stuck in ruts … and I’m more balanced.”

For those of you who would like to begin developing a Personal Accountability Plan for 2010, we suggest you begin by answering the questions below:

Key Results—Recognize that Accountability begins with well-defined results. What are the Key Results you want to deliver in 2010? (We recommend focusing on 3 Key Results.)  How well do you understand the Key Results you are accountable to deliver? How well do your partners or members of your team know and understand these Key Results? Can you identify the process that will allow you and your partners/team to stay current and on track with respect to each of the Key Results?

Steps to Accountability—Apply the Steps to Accountability to address obstacles, increase ownership, build resolve, and make it happen. What will you do to obtain the perspectives of others, in order to more quickly and effectively “See It?” How will you become more personally invested in achieving your Key Results? What will you do to keep asking yourself, “What else can I do?” How will you keep yourself focused on the top priorities relating to your Key Results? What will you do to avoid blaming other people or external circumstances for any lack of progress?  Learn more about the Steps to Accountability by visiting www.ozprinciple.com.

Accountability Partner—Find an Accountability Partner (boss, associate, friend, spouse, therapist, relative), with whom you share mutual respect and trust. Who is willing to give you honest feedback and on-going encouragement to help you stay on track, overcome obstacles, and deliver your Key Results in the coming year? How can you enlist this person to help you become even more accountable to yourself and your commitment to deliver Key Results? What will you do to help your Accountability Partner in return?

After 20 years of working with individuals and organizations to help them become more accountable, we have learned that Personal Accountability Plans work wonders—if they’re internalized and integrated into daily activities. Accountability is a personal choice, one day at a time. Have a  Merry Christmas and an Accountable New Year!