Leadership

How many emails with attachments get opened quickly? When we have one more click to take it is often something that we will look at later. But do we actually open it up later or does it end up at the bottom of our inbox? One very simple practical approach to supporting accountability is to […]

Let’s be honest, how far do you get through most meeting minutes? While you may have some folks read every word, if people open the document, they are likely only going to read the first page.  If we want folks to take action and be accountable, we need to keep it at the beginning and

How often do you participate in meetings and wonder what ever happened to the work you did in the previous meeting? If you begin each meeting as if it’s a brand new meeting, you miss an opportunity to support accountability and maintain momentum.  Join me this week as I highlight three reasons it makes sense

How many times are you invited to a meeting but are not sure about the agenda for the meeting? When you don’t see an agenda in advance, are you excited to attend the meeting or are you wondering if you should spend your time doing something else?  Let’s be honest. It is really difficult to

If you are trying to inspire accountability, one of the best ways to do it is to make it personal. When we are personally asked to participate, provide feedback or follow through with what we say we are going to do, we are more likely to do it. Early in my coalition-building career, I remember

We all work on deadlines – even if they are sometimes arbitrary. If we ask our coalition members to respond when they can, they may never respond. And who can blame them? Does anyone really have “extra time?”  If we want to increase accountability in our coalition, we must set deadlines (that still give you

One of the most common reasons we struggle with accountability in coalition work is that we are not realistic about what to expect others to do. Discerning what is realistic for staff, leaders and volunteers can vary considerably depending upon the person. Also, if you are someone who tends to be unrealistic about how much

When you are asking someone to do something that helps them achieve their own goals and interests, you are MUCH more likely to get them to follow-through. Rather than one more thing to put on the to-do list – one thing checks two boxes! Woohoo!  This may be the MOST effective way to inspire accountability

Setting the example is the most powerful way to encourage accountability. If we want our coalitions, partnerships, teams, workgroups or councils to follow-through, we have to do what we say we are going to do. When we are unable to follow-through as intended, it is incredibly important for us to be honest about it with