How can you create accountability during a transition?

Model the Change: Leaders must embody the change they wish to see in the organization. This means not only advocating for the transition but also demonstrating through their actions that they are committed to the new direction. By doing so, leaders set a powerful example for their teams, showing that the change is not just expected but is also embraced at the highest levels of the organization. Transparent and Open Communication: Leaders should maintain an open dialogue about the transition's progress, challenges, and successes. This involves being transparent about the difficulties faced during the transition and how they are being addressed.

Agree with everything said here but in my experience, you have communicate the same message over and over again for it to actually land. There’s nothing called over communication! So be clear in what you want to convey and repeat the message 6-8 times to really make an impact or impression.

Communicating vision and goals of any transformation is only the first step. You need to take this communication deeper into the organisation and will need to articulate ; - what’s in it for them - how will this transformation affect what they do in their daily lives. - explain how it will affect their current ways of working, hopefully making it easier or by providing more role clarity. - how does it serve the customer ? - how does it improve collaboration ? - how does it make the business more sustainable ?

While communicating clearly and specifically are the predominant factors,we cannot ignore the factor of "Stakeholders buy- in". Stakeholders should be made to understand and believe in our goals and vision.Then the tasks will be much more easier

Clearly conveying the vision and transformation goals is crucial. In addition to establishing the correct objectives and KPIs, the team must grasp their significance in this transition. Their active involvement and contributions are key factors for a successful transformation.

In my experience, one of the secrets to obtain accountability in a change process is to build a shared vision. If every sponsor and key-stakeholder feel and effectively identify their contribution to this vision, they will behave as they are "dreaming the same dream". Sometimes I see this step being executed in a kind of "bureaucratic" way, just being there because it's part of the methodology. If that is the case, it does not result in accountability. We need to really listen and co-create... Then we get people to be in the same boat.

I cannot stress enough, the importance of buy in from all stakeholders at every stage of the transition, right from pre-deal onwards. This helps create a sense of ownership for the shared objectives that the two teams coming together have. This also creates a guardrail around the whole transition.

It is also important to identify all the relevant stakeholders. Usually there is an alignment done at the top level which needs to be percolated to the operating teams. Many timeds we assume that alignment at top is sufficient and the communication to other critical stakeholders is ignored.

Communicating the vision and the goals is vital. Involving the team in defining the goals though, is half the job already done, and it's actually the step before the first step. In all cases, all ecosystem members should be aware, aligned and included, in order to be supportive and accept specific roles in the transition process. A person that is involved first hand, is more likely to be highly efficient and accountable.

Creating accountability during a change/transition for me has to start from ensuring people understand, and can articulate themselves clearly, why the change is necessary and how it impacts/benefits them. They can then develop an understanding of their part in delivering the change before they can be held accountable for it.

Co-creation is a great way to accelerate change adoption and resilience. That's why taking an approach like Agile can empower and inspire employees during a change. Agile teams are self-directed where the members choose the work that will get done based on its highest value and alignment to the intended outcomes. It is also a great way for team members to learn new skills and shadow mentors/coaches to continue to develop as an individual and a team.

I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from David Marquet’s approach in his book “Turn the Ship Around” - empower your team to own the company’s Vision by creating a team of “leaders”, not followers (Intent based leadership) Your role is to create structure and to allow your team to set the goals that feed into the Vision. Break this down further into 90 day objectives and key results…and most importantly maintain a psychological safe environment for the team.

involving your team in the planning and execution of a change initiative is a powerful strategy to create accountability and drive successful transitions.

Engaging everyone in the planning of a change initiative enhances the ultimate result and encourages active participation from the team. Furthermore, it is imperative to institute a transparent chain of command, wherein the decision-making hierarchy and communication pathways within the organization are delineated. It is essential that employees have a clear understanding of their reporting structures, who holds responsibility for specific facets of the transition, and the prescribed flow of information. This clarity and structure will instill a sense of ownership in the process.

In any transition, it's crucial to understand that clarity extends beyond knowing what changes will occur and how they will unfold. A key aspect often overlooked is the definition of clear roles and responsibilities. This is where the importance of a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) matrix comes into play. Without a well-defined RACI matrix, teams can face significant confusion and encounter bottlenecks. The RACI framework helps in assigning and displaying responsibilities, ensuring that everyone involved knows not only their tasks but also whom to consult, inform, and hold accountable. This clarity is essential for smooth transitions and effective change management.

Its all about ownership with me. One thing I have learned in Cybersecurity is that the one constant in our community is "change". To manage it and the stress it brings to your program and teams requires everyone to get involved. You educate them on the broad vision, you break it down into the pieces they will manage, and then together, you focus on what you can control and the end result, you help the business with its transition.

I think it's about generating genuine ownership through collaboration and co-creation. People will buy and implement somebody else's vision, plans etc. but most people will prioritise their 'own' work; the work they have shaped, are invested in and feel genuinely part of. We all want work we are heavily invested in to succeed. When it doesn't, we feel let down and responsible. This approach also draws on a greater diversity of people, their skills, knowledge and experience increasing the chances of well considered outputs and reducing blind spots.

In my experience, bringing your team along in the planning and execution earns better adoption when you as the leader provide a clear vision of the why, the what, and a view to the possibilities. Creating this culture all the time empowers your team and make it a sincere activity if that is the culture you always create.

People are more likely to adopt what they've had a hand in creating. However, this doesn’t directly lend itself to accountability. Some tips to encourage accountability: - Create an accountability partnership model, with clarity around what your accountabilities are in change and accountabilities of the recipients of change. Go through it together to create a social contract of sorts. This helps create a partnership model that is more likely to drive people to want to be accountable vs. we are doing change to you, and you need to do x, y, z. - Create robust hand over to business plans, articulating key owners, clarity of roles and accountabilities. This will help create a sense of ownership and sustainability well beyond execution.

One thing I found it useful is to deeply understand causes for changes in the team behaviors during the transition phases " which is normal " and can help the team maximize its process and its productivity. Also normalizing asking for support from your team members to stay on track and provide a useful framework for looking at your own team performance.

Foster a Safe Environment for Risk-Taking: Encouraging innovation and allowing employees to take calculated risks without fear of punitive consequences if they don't pan out can be crucial. Leaders should create an atmosphere where team members feel safe to experiment and voice their ideas. This approach can lead to greater buy-in and a willingness to take ownership of the transition, as employees feel their contributions are valued and that they have a stake in the outcome.

Navigating change, I've come to realise, is as much about shedding the old as it is about embracing the new. One of the most tricky lessons is understanding the significance of letting go. While it might sound straightforward, it's anything but. Whenever I've initiated a shift, bringing my team into the heart of the decision has been pivotal. And yes - I've witnessed reluctance, heard countless reasons, and even felt the weight of our collective attachments to tried and tested ways. In my experience, embracing new ways of working isn't just about chasing what's next. It's a deeply personal journey of recognising where we've been, acknowledging where we are, and being excited about where we're headed.

Power of the manager - The key attribute here is to be able to manage the “unknown” and support the team to navigate change - Good communicator will be key in reducing friction and moving from early adopters of change to other layers - Performance through immersion in all aspects

Or at the very least, be exceptionally clear on the expectations. A framework on how to challenge old behaviours is often an undervalued resource.

Provide continuous support and necessary resources during transitions. Ensuring that teams have access to training, tools, and guidance makes them feel equipped and confident to embrace and drive the change, reinforcing their sense of responsibility and commitment. My real experience: When transitioning to a hybrid work model, we equipped our team with hybrid working workshops, upgraded IT support, and clear guidelines. This comprehensive support made the shift smoother and empowered our team to adapt effectively, reflecting our commitment to their needs and our evolving work culture.

Ensure that your team has the necessary resources, tools, and training to adapt to the changes. When employees are equipped with the right skills and resources, they are more likely to be accountable for their performance.

Change is hard. If you want change to be successful, you have to help it along. Training plans, software, meeting facilitation, and anything else you can think of to provide to the teams for support will be important. As leaders, it is important to outline the resources available to the various teams as part of the transition plans. Make them easy to find and easy to use.

This is another area where agile processes are helpful. When change is designed and implemented incrementally, it becomes apparent when and where team members need support. It prevents confusion and resentment from building up when there are regular retrospectives that identify issues and allow for course correction.

A few good ways to do this, that doesn't have an expensive time cost, helps keep things on track with real or near time feedback and promptly identifies roadblocks: - Working out loud, by using a visual management board (digital via miro, or a change wall in the office) where people can provide updates as to whats on-hold, in progress and done. - Tools like Jira, where you can see and talk through backlogs, WIP, sprints - Stand ups (the short kind) that are in context of your work routine You might also want to look in to having OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) as this helps define both your target AND the key metrics that will help keep you on track (e.g. your north star) Vs. KPIs which tend to be focused on simply tracking progress.

Not my creation but for a number of years "the change equation" has been doing the rounds on social media .......I have always found it a useful tool as 1. it isn't rocket science and 2. it makes absolute sense!

Build and communicate a Strategy Map linking stategic objectives together across finance, customer, process and people. This is a singke diagram that illustrates how everyone has a role to play.

To do tracking its important to set the duration of how regular time frame is better for the project. For example; 2 years project, at least every 3 weeks must set one tracking monitoring meeting... This meeting must be clear the progress, not just mentioning what had achieved, but must in detailed to successfully achieved what had been target to achieved every 3 weeks meeting... Open this monitoring session with performance debate.

Routine progress reporting is another reason why the adoption of an OKR goal-setting approach would be effective for a large-scale transition. You would establish a reporting cadence that suits the needs of the transition programme of work. Individuals would indicate how they are progressing in their specific objectives and key results (by checking in or closing their items through an OKR app such as Microsoft's Viva Goals for example). Leaders and change managers would be able to then assess overall organisational progress towards the successful transition through a dashboard that aggregates everyone's aligned goals and key results, allowing them to identify where resources or business engagement is required to keep momentum going.

Set key milestones, use performance metrics, and maintain regular check-ins. Utilize project management tools and establish clear reporting channels. Address issues promptly and adjust strategies as needed to ensure a successful transition.

When I have taken over new teams. It was key to see what/how they are working when you first arrive. It is important to ask why they perform a process in the current manner, or could you show me how you do that. Be careful in the delivery as some could shutdown feeling that you disapprove. You may be able to offer suggestions that make the process easier or more efficient. This is a chance for collaboration and the start to team building. You will need to follow up to ensure the new processes have continued, and then you are able to set/establish performance standards/expectations. The performance management cycle will be continuous, collaborative, and is intended to make the team and individuals stronger within their work.

You ever work for months on a big initiative and 3 months after rollout you discover that no one is following the new procedure. Yeah, me too! What gets measured matters. If you don't bother to measure and monitor, then you are telling your team they don't have to do it if they don't want to. Reinforcement is tiring but so vital to make change stick.

There are many ways to create accountability through monitoring progress and performance. A RACI Matrix is an adaptable tool in your toolkit for this challenge. RACI stands for: Responsible. Accountable. Consulted. Your RACI can include not only provisions for monitoring and communicating the progress and performance outcomes being achieved during the transition. The RACI matrix can also incorporate plans and control engagement and communication when these KPIs are being established.

Implementing an approach like Agile ensures that the team recognition and celebration of success is "built in" to the way in which your team works, making it a core part of just how you do business. Retrospectives are useful to celebrate early wins, reflect on what's working well that should continue and what might need to change, and continue to learn from 'mistakes' or 'failures' so the team can continue to improve. This fosters a culture of learning, growth, innovation, and accountability.

I've found one of the most beneficial ways to celebrate success is to not only celebrate the team's success, but highlight certain individuals as well. Letting people know how much their individual contribution meant to the project excites others to step up and contribute more. Acknowledge the sacrifices that family members might be making as well (late nights without mom or dad coming home for dinner) goes a long way to help keep people motivated and striving for positive outcomes.

First improve, recover and the do lessons learned when a major milestone is not hit. Don‘t blame, but manage and take decisions. Celebrate even smaller things, and let it rock when major milestones or projects are closed.

In times of transition, accountability can easily wane, but leaders have the chance to maintain it by celebrating successes and learning from failures openly. A system of recognizing and rewarding team milestones, however small, creates an environment of continuous positive reinforcement. It's equally crucial to examine setbacks without blame. When things go awry, a transparent post-mortem analysis can turn failures into invaluable lessons for the entire team. This balanced approach to accountability fosters resilience, agility, and a culture of continuous improvement, vital for any transition period.

I have incorporated Brad Stulberg's 48-hour rule into my leadership practice, especially during times of transition. After a success or failure, I take 48 hours to react and then return my focus to work. This method helps me build accountability within the team because it teaches us to learn from mistakes and celebrate successes appropriately. Tip: Use the 48 hours to reflect with your team and plan next steps. This practice fosters a culture of learning and innovation and keeps us on track for success.

In the past I became used to moving on to the next delivery almost as soon as the last one finished. Almost like there was no time to dwell, too busy, just move on. In recent years seeing the huge benefit of taking the time to celebrate and thank people, organise a celebration, with a small token gesture like cakes goes a huge way to boosting moral and being proud. Equally with being more agile in delivery and embracing Innovation culture, celebrating mistakes (or at least celebrating people wanting to try) and learning from them is hugely important. Empowering people to put ideas forward and wanting to try something and potentially fail fast, without fear, is hugely beneficial. As is taking time to look back in a Retrospective session.

Two tips to consider for celebrating success and taking on all important learnings, are: - Conducting regular Start, Stop and Continues. This ensures you are collaboratively adjusting the sails of work, as you go. - Regular team retrospectives (fondly known as retros) to go through what went well, what didn't go so well and what was learned. Retro's shouldn’t be left until the end of a project either. They can even be used for the likes of workshop series, or training, as well as at the end of sprints and larger programs of work. To ensure the retro approach doesn't create threat states, it is suggested that the golden rule of retros be communicated and applied - "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

Recognize and celebrate achievements along the way. Acknowledging small wins can motivate your team and reinforce their sense of accountability.

I'm a huge fan of celebrating all that you learn. It's great when you have success, but to only focus on that is a mistake. I coach my teams to not think of it as failure, but it's really the only way we learn.

Mistakes happen, its important to create an environment where being open about mistakes to ensure that they are not repeated is key. Getting something wrong once should not be punished, getting it wrong over and over should...

Create a feedback loop where team members can provide input and suggestions. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement and shared accountability.

Any change process, regardless of the desired outcome, brings with it uncertainty. In such times of uncertainty, it is critically important to make psychological safety a strategic priority. If a culture of psychological safety has been established ahead of a change process, colleagues will be much better at holding each other accountable for the commitments made. When employees feel they can be honest and straightforward in sharing their feedback, whether positive or negative, without experiencing repercussions from colleagues or leadership, employees are also more likely to assume responsibility in a change process. Responsibility and accountability combined is a driver for the successful implementation of any strategic roadmap.

Listen and enjoy others being in the spotlight. The only way to nurture change and constant improvement is the ability to keep others included. Keeping others involved, especially during milestones, is essential to keep them interested in long-term success.

Think of a feedback loop as multiple infinity loops connected together in a necklace. Different teams communicating amongst themselves, and where the links connect to the next, sending information through the chain. Encourage open communication, discourage silos.

Trust and psychological safety go hand in hand and must be created over time. People wont just open up if they dont feel like their voice is heard. In promoting that sense of team work, we must make sure that ALL team members know that their voice will be heard and respected. Creating multiple avenues for feedback lets people know that their differences are understood and respected. Create suggestion boxes, f2f and email spaces for comms, use tools like slack and mural so that people can choose the mode of communication that best suites them and their learning and communication styles.

Teamwork is pivotal when leading successful change within an organization. Drawing on the adaptive leadership metaphor by Heifetz and Linsky, effective leadership requires a balance between taking a step back to observe (akin to watching from the balcony) and being actively involved on the 'dance floor' with the team. Merely announcing expectations and waiting for accountability isn't collaborative. An empathic leader understands when to be a visible part of the team and not just a distant figure of authority. As leaders oversee change and gauge the accountability of the team, it's crucial to remember that the team is also closely watching the leader's actions and assessing their commitment to the change process.

Foster open communication, conduct regular team meetings, use cloud-based collaboration tools, create dedicated feedback channels, reward collaborative behaviour, senior management must lead by example, and take prompt action based on feedback to enhance the transition process.

Nurturing trust within a team is a constant journey, and I'm actively working on fostering open communication. As a change leader, I strive to embrace open criticism by openly acknowledging my own shortcomings and sharing personal challenges. I believe in being transparent about the uncertainties I face, recognizing that vulnerability is a strength that builds connection. In the pursuit of creating predictability, I aim to provide a space where team members feel safe expressing fears and criticisms without fear of reprisal. On the flip side, I've learned that embracing unpredictability inadvertently breeds fear among followers, hindering honest communication.

The connection between this and accountability may not be obvious, but it’s crucial. During times of transition, priorities and team engagement are a constantly moving target. The key priorities contributing to performance can turn on a dime. Not only does this mean you can find your teams working on low value activity, high performing and connected employees will detect these shifts, often before they’re public. If you’re not intentional about collaborating and seeking feedback, you may miss these shifts. If you do, engagement will drop as will accountability to the right things. Making sure you’re regularly connecting and emphasizing feedback loops will create opportunities to course correct and reestablish targets.

Organizational Culture impact on any such program of transformation, change or transitions could be the most potent deterrent or pivot.

In my experience, a critical part of being transparent is clearly communicating what the end state will look like early in the process. Each step outlined above is key, having toll booths or check points along the way are also important. This allows you to stop and assess that everyone is still on board and engaged with the change process. Lastly, recognizing and celebrating the success of the end state allows for a healthy pivot and great start to your new direction.

It's tempting to think that organizational change is just a matter of planning and good communication, but it sits firmly in the Complex space of problems (c.f. Cynefin), which is the domain of unknown unknowns "Cause and effect can only be deduced in retrospect, and there are no right answers." This kind of change is "impervious to a reductionist, take-it-apart-and-see-how-it-works approach, because your very actions change the situation in unpredictable ways." The way to manage cultural change is Probe/Sense/Respond: Try things, and do more of what works. Listen hard and be responsive. Be humble and don't pretend you've got all the answers. Treat the people you work with like adults and share the responsibility- you'll muddle through!

Organisational health is key here. Everything must work and be functional. it might seem boring and beneath some people but it's absolutely vital.

First, clearly communicate expectations and goals. This ensures that everyone understands what is expected of them and helps to establish a sense of responsibility. Second, establish regular check-ins or progress meetings to track progress and address any issues or concerns. This promotes transparency and allows for timely adjustments if needed. Third, foster a culture of ownership and empowerment by encouraging individuals to take ownership of their tasks and outcomes. Lastly, lead by example and demonstrate accountability yourself. When others see you taking responsibility and following through on commitments, it sets a positive tone and encourages others to do the same.

Creating accountability during a transition is like herding intergalactic space cats – tricky, but not impossible! You just need laser pointers of motivation and a cosmic litter box of clear expectations to guide them to the universe of success.

be very specific as to the behaviors you need from people that are aligned to the new ways of working. Behaviors are observable actions people can take. Once they are established, it is easy to celebrate those that consistently behave in the new way and have a chat with those who are struggling.

I had a great boss once that didn’t simply communicate what was going on, but the WHY the transition is important from the organizations point of view. What is the gain, and why? He also did a great job of fostering a team environment that made us want succeed together. He set goals for us both team wise and individually. There were bonus goals set. Wins for anyone were directly shared in the weekly team meeting on Friday mornings. Breakfast was always provided although some b-fasts were better than others. The thing was bonuses were ALWAYS paid out in cash in the bank envelope at the meetings. It pays to be a winner. Individual counselings for poor performance were always done in private and weren’t called problems, but concerns.

I think the importance of middle management cannot be understated in achieving this. Yes, leadership needs to "walk the walk" ; yes, the whole organisation needs to understand the changes and feel involved and heard ; but efforts will be heavily impeded if we don't manage to involve middle management. They are the ones that set the tone for each of their teams, that set the priorities, that evaluate the employees. They are the best vehicles for the strategy and the vision. Turning middle managers from administrators into leaders can drastically improve the chances of success.