Intertwined responsibility: the secret of a winning team

Imagine what would happen if a quarterback threw the ball regardless of whether the wide receiver could catch it. Sounds ridiculous, right? After all, soccer is a game in which all team members win or lose together. Shouldn’t the same be true of the business world? Although we embrace the rhetoric of “teamwork,” most companies continue to operate as a group of separate individuals with separate goals.

True teamwork requires what I call interlocking responsibility. The traditional business structure is a vertical hierarchy: I report to a boss who reports to a boss who reports to a boss and so on. To move beyond that mindset, we must be accountable to one another both laterally and vertically. That way, a success for you is a success for me. We unite, share resources and fight for the same goals, and we all win.

Here are some tips for companies that want to move towards interlocking accountability:

1. Support, don’t blame!

In sports, successful teams stick together. All members accept victory or defeat and all take responsibility for each other’s performance. They support each other instead of pointing fingers when something goes wrong and instigating a blame war. Adopt this policy in your company. Instead of blaming your coworker when you drop the ball, say “we’re here to help, now what can we do differently?”

2. Create a model of success.

Before you can talk about holding people accountable, there needs to be a standard for holding them accountable. Your team should set specific expectations up front and make them clear to everyone involved. It is not enough to talk about a vision. Contractors never build a house based on a vision! They start with a plan that identifies the foundation, the walls, the roof, right down to the size of the nails. The same should be true for any business project. Create your plan in advance and your “house” will be solid in the end.

3. Expect some consequences.

Intertwined accountability usually translates to hard work. And it often means letting go of projects where a team member may have her ego involved. For both reasons, holding people accountable will often expose, and even break, the “weak links” in a team. I always tell my clients that some team members may quit. If someone has been drifting at work and hasn’t kept their promises, then putting the spotlight on that person forces them to support their team members in the same way…or leave.

It’s amazing what can happen when coworkers support each other. I’ve seen struggling companies adopt interlocking accountability practices and turn things around. So the next time you’re tempted to say, “I shot the ball, look what a great player I am!” try saying “How can I help you catch?” His team, that is, his company, will be on the way to victory.