Leadership has a way of assigning work and then assuming that the work will be done. May I suggest the following so the work will be done; people understand what work they are doing; the priorities and why the work matters.

When accountability is used as a communication tool, clarity is achieved. The when, why, how, where, and who are not anonymous and the details of the value of the work stand out as important. When you assign Larry the work, relate it to what he knows, why it is important, when it is needed and where the final information will land.

“Larry, thanks for taking the Norten contract spreadsheet on for the next staff meeting on Thursday, 6/25. I would like to see your initial stats via an email from you before the staff meeting on Thursday – does that work for you? If so, would providing me the stats on Wednesday morning work for you? Other than the past quarter’s data, is there anything else you will need to complete the Norten content? BTW, the format for the report is the same you provide in your weekly feedback, which is clear and always on time. Let me know if a call is needed or if you have questions that will support the Norten contract data?” Accountability rules!!