Book Review

The Accountability Revolution

by Mark Samuel with Barbara Novak

Filled with practical strategies and tools this book strives to create a more accountable work environment. The personal and work examples bring the concepts to life. Mark’s definition of accountability is right on target… “Accountability means that people can count on one another to keep performance commitments and communication agreements.”

Mark breaks down the “Anatomy of Accountability” into six key elements:

1. Clear intention – Create a clear picture of success stated as a result.
2. Interlocking Ownership – Each person must deal with their part of the project as if they owned the entire project.
3. Effective Execution – Develop clear guidelines around coordination, timing, communication, decision making, and actions necessary to achieve the desired outcome.
4. Relentless Attack of Dysfunctional Habits – Surface and address habits that are impeding the team’s success.
5. Responsive Recovery – Be prepared from the starting gate to handle the inevitable project glitches.
6. Ruthless Measuring of Results – Frequent check-ins to ensure the project is on track.

Mark emphasizes that one of the keys to creating a more accountable environment is having a way to hold one another accountable. He has coined the phrase “Interlocking Accountability.” In many organizations it looks like this… when something goes wrong, or someone “drops the ball,” they are blamed, judged, or simply ignored and worked around. A more effective way is to acknowledge the problem (without blame or judgment) and to support the person to make a change. This is a must read for anyone struggling with individual or team accountability in their organization.