Accountability: A Two-Way Door Worth Opening

When I feel anxious about holding one of my teammates accountable, I can often trace the feeling back to the fear of not wanting them to hold me accountable. There could be any number of reasons for this: fear of failure, knowing I haven't been putting forth my best effort, or simply not wanting to do what needs to be done.

Sometimes I trick myself into thinking that It’d be nice to just float under the radar—someone lets me slide, I let them slide, no hard conversations. The easy life.

But if we step back and look at the long game, coasting through work is much less rewarding, and not necessarily easier than embracing being held to a high standard. And as hard as communicating with candor can be, it’s nothing compared to the resentment that breeds when we avoid difficult conversations. 

Accountability is a two-way door. If we step up and hold others accountable, we’re opening the door for them to hold us accountable, and that’s a good thing.