What Will it Take to Get Two-Sided Accountability?

There's nothing complicated about establishing two-sided accountable relationships for people who are convinced the other person isn't going to unilaterally decide to drop out. Getting there, however, takes someone with muscle to stand up for the company by saying, “From now on we're going to have processes that ensure no one's needs are overlooked.” Why do we say stand up for the company? Because in a system of one-sided accountable relationships, where people feel the necessity to indulge in deception and denial in order to succeed, the company always loses out. Next, it's going to take consciousness-raising. People need to expect subjectivity and they need to learn about the bias that characterizes their actions and thoughts, and even some things about the history that underlies that bias. Lastly, it requires a system^[7] that protects people lower down so that they don't suffer a personal setback merely from saying what they see and believe.

These safeguards are readily obtained with an evaluation system in which direct bosses select and hire their subordinates and their boss, the subordinates' big boss, provides the performance evaluation review. Of course proximity, time required, and numbers of people to be evaluated will cause direct bosses to provide most of the input and big boss evaluators to focus mainly on troublesome and contested evaluations while rubber stamping the rest. When an evaluation is contested, both individuals' views will need to be sensed. Then, the focus will not just be on the subordinate's performance, it will also be on the direct boss's conduct in helping that person to succeed. Distancing and passing the buck will become more difficult and bosses will have more motivation to ask direct reports, “What do you need from me today?” and to develop relationships where this question can be answered straight. Of course this is the basic two-sided accountable paradigm mandate.

The aforementioned is only one of the ways for achieving two-sided accountability described in Don't Kill the Bosses! The basic conditions are internalization of human nature facts, appreciation for the politics that derive from self-interests, and a clearly articulated hierarchy that unambiguously delineates responsibilities and authorities so that decision makers are motivated to openly solicit other views prior to taking action. With these conditions met, the feeling of “being in it together” becomes more reality than slogan and organizations have more of what they need to succeed.