“Above all, success in business requires two things: a winning competitive strategy, and superb organizational execution. Distrust is the enemy of both. I submit that while high trust won’t necessarily rescue a poor strategy, low trust will almost always derail a good one. ”
― Stephen M.R. Covey, The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything

My copy of M.R. Covey’s The Speed of Trust is one of my most dog-eared. So much needed wisdom for me at the time, and it has served me well. Lencioni, too, works with building trust as the first order of addressing dysfunction in teams. His approach is to counter our need for invulnerability, and I don’t outright disagree with that. He even addresses the need for accountability at a later stage. However, I find myself dwelling on accountability as a fundamental aspect of trust.

Accountability is when we say what we will do, then do as we say. When that isn’t possible, we communicate proactively as to any changes we must make. Accountability develops trust in our word because our actions follow, and we otherwise manage expectations.

So, in professional environments that have yet to pursue emotional competence as a way to enhance trust for effectiveness, the pursuit of accountability among individuals and teams (i.e. departments) and across an organization is a suitable avenue.

Originally published January 2022