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This might sound like boilerplate language from just about every management text you’ve ever read, but coming from Kilts, who successfully turned a slumbering corporate giant into a nimble corporate power, it is sound advice. Still, Kilts’ words can be easily misunderstood, especially in terms of the concepts of accountability and responsibility. Managers too often misconstrue accountability as a justifiable measure for punishing people for underdelivering—and it results in a misapplication of the concept of accountability.

Managers today are concerned with getting more done using fewer resources, which means they must accomplish two goals: (1) extract high levels of results and (2) nurture, develop, and foster the growth of employees. In the role of being in charge, managers must engage in a number of functions, including planning, implementing, and monitoring.

In planning, managers identify consequences (the major objectives they seek to achieve) and the specific outcomes that can lead to those consequences.

Implementing involves work and objectives to other people—creating and maintaining work contexts that enable them to focus on performance.

But to get outstanding results through the efforts of others, and develop and refine them along the way, managers must assign accountability for the substantial goals expected and established by the manager.

It is the manager’s job to create and communicate clear expectations for what others must accomplish – not necessarily what they should do or how they should do it. And articulating the significance of what others must accomplish sets the stage for them to take responsibility for what must be done.

Responsibility is the expectation one creates for oneself; it cannot be assigned like accountability. Simply assigning work to people does not mean they will take responsibility for doing it - or doing it right. Often, people think of responsibility as a character trait: “He is not a responsible person” is typical. But responsibility for accomplishing work or a desired outcome can rest as much with the manager as with the employee. An effective manager will find ways to enable others to actively, willingly, and even enthusiastically take responsibility. At any rate, the manager retains the responsibility until they do.

When implementing through others, managers should assign what must be done in a way that helps them take responsibility – and clear-cut accountabilities make a big difference. Vague expectations, which wind up getting left to interpretation, confuse people; it is hard for them to take responsibility for things they don’t understand.

Open discussion, negotiation, and resolution of accountabilities clarify what is expected. By engaging in this dialogue and making sure that expectations are understood, people have the opportunity to take responsibility. If they are unclear or uncertain about the expectation or its parameters, the dialogue gives people a chance to take action such as seek clarity or request more authority or resources. Other things managers can do to help people take responsibility:

• Remove distracters so people can focus on performance related to work.
• Establish compelling common goals that bring people together – this lends deeper meaning to the expectation(s).
• Encourage and promote cooperation so that people will help each other in seeking common ends.
• Assign peers as resources – those who are best able to point out ways to move the work along.
• Provide meaningful feedback, as close to the work as possible, on progress.
• Celebrate significant successes; people are more likely to take responsibility when morale is high.
• Be absolutely clear about where decisions are to be made and what resources are available.
• Finally, when individuals fail to contribute, provide leadership to help them reframe how they think about the work. Coercion, punishment, and the threat of “holding people accountable” are never effective alternatives.

For managers to get exceptional results and help people grow, individuals must willingly take responsibility for accomplishing great things.