Episode 192: (Leadership Development) Magic of Designed Accountability

In this week’s episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin and Adam Gruszcynski, the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, discuss employee accountability strategies. Adam shares his approach to accountability, how to incorporate accountability into leadership development, and how he leads employees with intention.

In this episode…

Continuing the Leadership Development series. Eighty-two percent of managers report having little or no ability to hold their teams accountable. This often occurs when they lack the tools and resources for effective accountability, or the organization equates accountability with negative conversations. However, accountability promotes effective leadership and performance. How can you hold your team accountable?

Only 14% of employees believe their performance is managed correctly, necessitating solid accountability structures and performance management. IT team leader Adam Gruszcynski advises conducting one-on-one meetings with employees to discuss goals and task completion. During these meetings, leaders should assess their employees’ management needs and adjust their leadership style accordingly. This ensures a productive and positive experience. You can also leverage productivity tools like Asana or Monday.com to organize tasks and monitor completion.

In this week’s episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin and Adam Gruszcynski, the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, discuss employee accountability strategies. Adam shares his approach to accountability, how to incorporate accountability into leadership development, and how he leads employees with intention.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[1:52] Adam Gruszcynski’s approach to accountability

[4:49] A definition of accountability

[8:05] How to develop accountability structures for your team

[14:57] Incorporating accountability into leadership development

[18:07] Adam talks about intentional leadership

[21:02] The impact of performance accountability

Quotable Moments:

“Sometimes the old school methods are the best methods.”
“No one wants to have an unpleasant conversation with anyone. They want it to be productive and positive.”
“Holding an individual or a group accountable ensures that the established end goal is achieved.”
“If you can figure out how to get the buy-in, it’s going to make the project much easier and more successful.”
“If you say something is needed but don’t give a due date, you’re setting the team up for failure.”

Sometimes the old school methods are the best methods. Share on X

Action Steps:

Implement clear accountability structures: Incorporate systems like the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) or project management tools like Asana or Monday.com to establish clear accountability processes. This addresses the challenge of undefined expectations and ensures everyone is aware of their responsibilities and deadlines.
Conduct regular one-on-ones with follow-ups: Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with your team members to discuss progress and hurdles, followed by a summary email detailing the agreed actions and deadlines. This practice enhances transparency and reinforces commitment to goals, addressing the fear of negative accountability conversations.
Define and communicate outcomes: Clearly differentiate between outputs (tasks to be completed) and outcomes (desired results) when assigning responsibilities. By setting explicit expectations, leaders can create a shared understanding of goals, tackling the common issue of misalignment in accountability.
Utilize behavioral assessments: Use tools like the Predictive Index to understand and align management styles with individual team members’ needs. This approach can bridge the gap in leadership styles and ensure leaders manage employees in a way that is conducive to their success.
Cascade and align goals across teams: Develop cascading goals that connect individual, team, and organizational objectives to foster a sense of shared responsibility. This practice promotes peer-level accountability and aligns efforts across departments, addressing the challenge of isolated performance efforts.

Adam Gruszcynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. He previously served as the venue’s Information Technology Security Manager, where he reduced cyber risk while securing team member and guest information. As a network and security expert, Adam was also a Network Administrator at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, where he supported network resources and secured IT system delivery.

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