The Why of Work: Attitude Toward Accountability

Accountability is such a critical piece of any organizations success. Often team loose sight of it and it has drastic consequences.






Dave and Wendy have a short section spanning a few pages that bring us some astute points that I wanted to capture and share.

All leaders and organizations should set clear goals and make practical plans. I have seen so often in my time in the non profit sector vague goals that have no measurement are dependent on outside factions that the organization has no control over. Equally as often I have seen goals that are impractical and are setting the organization and the employee up for failure.






Have clear, reasonable expectations and hold others accountable for results. People will come to trust that they can succeed.



When leaders shirk candid conversations about accountability, no system will work. Three simple phrases that a leader can use with talking about accountability that are game changers toward success
- Help me understand.
- The data is demonstrating
- ...so that we can solve the problem?












I worked at an organization that was very goal focused, every day at our team meetings we would set goals for ourselves. These goals were based on larger quarterly goals and were steps to keep us on track to meet these larger goals. During the day if one of us was not living up to our goal the team would discuss with that individual what the barriers to success were and work with them to identify how they were going to overcome that barrier to accomplish the daily goal they had set for themselves. Failing to meet ones daily goal was not seen as failure, the next day one would simply revise the goal incorporating the learning's from the previous days failings.

The Why of Work

The Why of Work by David and Wendy Ulrich.

That question - the Why of Work, is one often easily answered in the non profit sector. Its a calling, a mission, a passion, a heart factor.

As I reflect on the sector and my experience in it all of these hold some truths, but when daily operations, and apathetic employees create poor performance across large portions of the non profit sector the why of work is the ideal question to be exploring.

The Ulrich's did not write the book for the non profit professional, it is aimed at those in upper mid management in a for profit environment, reading and reflecting on it has caused me great insight into ways that the sector struggles and ways that I can move my sphere of influence forward.

The first point that really captured me into the research of this book:
A Saratoga institute study found that 72 percent of employees who quit, leave because they feel they are not being recognized for their contributions or sufficiently respected and coached by their leaders.

- Wow, that is something that is very much in a leaders control. This has direct application to volunteer management and fostering and retaining great non profit employees.

In several of the organizations I have worked in those who had been in functionally the same role within the organization 5 or more years were often apathetic and complacent. In four different organizations I watch, highly talented, mission driven employees leave well before the 5 year mark. These individuals during personal conversations expressed feelings of overworked, taken advantage of, frustration at the lack of recognition and respect they deserved.

My take away from this is that I as a manager need to step up my recognition and coaching. Last year I hand wrote a card to each member of my team and distributed them at the holiday party, thanking them for their service. This year I have already set aside 1.5 hours each week to bring that recognition to the next level, I have set aside a portion of my budget to purchase small appreciation gifts to give with these notes and I plan to include an idea for a new years resolution focused on their development within our organization.

Combine calling with coaching and the potential to retain great members of your non profit workforce will improve.