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Leadership

Sep 04, 20246 min read

The Accountability Dial steps

AccountabilityDial is a framework designed to help teams and organizations maintain accountability in their process

1. The Mention

Purpose:
This is the first step where you address an issue as soon as you notice it. The goal is to bring the behavior or concern to the person’s attention in real-time or as close to it as possible.

Action:
Pull the person aside for a brief, informal conversation. Mention what you’re noticing without making it a big deal. This is more about awareness than criticism.

2. The Invitation

Purpose:
If the behavior continues, you move to the next step. Here, you provide more context to help the person understand the pattern of behavior that needs to be addressed.

Action:
Present two or three examples of the behavior that demonstrate it’s not just a one-time occurrence but a pattern. Invite the person to reflect on these examples and consider how they can work on them.

3. The Conversation

Purpose:
This step involves a deeper discussion. It’s about helping the person understand how their behavior is affecting their goals or the team’s goals.

Action:
Use a scheduled meeting, such as a weekly one-on-one, to explore the issue more thoroughly. Guide the person to recognize how the behavior is holding them back and brainstorm ways to improve. The conversation should be constructive and focused on personal and professional growth.

4. The Boundary

Purpose:
At this stage, it’s essential to set clear expectations for change. The goal is to establish an agreement on what needs to be done and by when.

Action:
Make a concrete agreement about the changes that need to occur. Specify the timeline for these changes and the specific actions the person commits to taking. Both parties should be clear on the expectations moving forward.

5. The Limit

Purpose:
This is the final step before deciding on more severe consequences. It’s a last effort to encourage meaningful change.

Action:
Have one more in-depth conversation, expressing that this is their final opportunity to make a significant improvement. The tone should be serious but supportive, emphasizing that this is the last chance for a breakthrough before more drastic measures are considered.

https://blog.gouravkhanijoe.com/p/reflection-shorts book # Simply Said: Communicating Better at Work and Beyond

Non violent communication

Empathy is the ability to deeply understand and share the feelings and experiences of another person.

The Four Components of NVC:
Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is structured around four core components that facilitate effective and compassionate communication:

  • Observations: Focus on specific, objective observations without evaluation or judgment.
    Example: Instead of “You’re always late,” say, “I noticed you arrived 15 minutes later than our scheduled time.”
  • Feelings: Express feelings clearly and authentically, avoiding disguised accusations.
    Example: “I feel frustrated” instead of “You make me feel frustrated.”
  • Needs: Identify the universal needs behind your feelings, such as the need for respect, safety, or understanding.
    Example: “I need clarity on our deadlines to feel confident in my work.”
  • Requests: Make actionable, specific, and respectful requests to meet your needs.
    Example: “Could we agree to a fixed time for future meetings?”

Workplace Feedback

  • Unhelpful: “Your reports are always so sloppy. Can’t you do better?”
  • NVC Approach:
    • Observation: “In your last two reports, I noticed several data points were missing.”
    • Feeling: “I feel concerned because accurate data is crucial for our team decisions.”
    • Need: “I have a need for clarity and reliability in our reports.”
    • Request: “Would you be open to reviewing the reports together before the next submission?”

Key Principles in Practice

  • Avoid blame or criticism; focus on mutual understanding.
  • Clearly articulate what you feel, why you feel it, and what you need.
  • Listen empathetically to the other person’s feelings and needs.
  • Create solutions collaboratively.

Never show angry or react suddenly to any incident think before act

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

What Are Crucial Conversations?

  • Definition: Conversations where the stakes are high, opinions differ, and emotions run strong.
  • These conversations often occur in personal relationships, workplaces, and decision-making scenarios.
  • Avoiding or handling them poorly can lead to conflict, misunderstandings, or missed opportunities.

The 6 Mistakes You’re Going to Make as a New Manager

  • Delegation: New managers often struggle to delegate tasks they previously handled as ICs. They may rationalize this by thinking they’re the only ones who can do it properly. This hinders team growth and prevents the manager from evolving into a leadership role.

  • Seeking Dopamine from the Wrong Sources: As an IC, the sense of accomplishment likely came from “shipping” projects. In a management role, this direct reward disappears. Managers need to find satisfaction in facilitating their team’s success, through activities like providing feedback and witnessing team growth.

  • Prioritizing Team Size over Quality: It’s easy to equate a larger team with success. However, focusing on the quality of the team’s output and creating a collaborative environment leads to better results than simply having a bigger team.

  • Struggling with Engagement Levels: New managers often struggle to find the balance between involvement and micromanaging. “Guided Autonomy” is recommended, where managers set clear goals and allow their team to determine the execution.

  • Failing to Manage Perception: As an IC, work is easily visible. As a manager, it’s less clear-cut. It becomes important to manage how the team, stakeholders, and senior management perceive you and your team’s contributions. This involves effectively communicating achievements and showcasing leadership that empowers the team.

  • Redefining Success: Imposter syndrome is common among new managers. It’s important to redefine success by focusing on the team’s shipping ability and happiness. If both are present, the manager is likely succeeding.

 Feedback template

Purpose: Give feedback in a non-judgmental, constructive way to help the other person improve.

Dharmesh Shah, co-founder of Hubspot, suggests dividing feedback into 4 categories based on “hill dying status” or how much you really care about the suggestion you’re making.

  1. FYI: It’s really not a big deal, but I’m letting you know just in case
  2. Suggestion: I’m fairly confident this would help, but I can live without it
  3. Recommendation: This could be holding you back
  4. Plea: It’s almost at the breaking point if it’s not already there

Resources

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