Investor’s Business Daily
Issue date: July 25, 2008

IBD’s 10 Secrets To Success
Be Honest And Dependable; Take Responsibility
Trust and Accountability

By Steve Watkins
You might be tempted to hide the truth to protect your people. Don't do it. Give them the full story, and you'll earn their trust and get them to be accountable for their work.

Ways to build trust in your organization and breed accountability:

• Be honest and open. "Give them the good, the bad and the ugly," said Jim Welch, president of Kansas City, Mo.-based Growth Leader, a consulting company. "People don't want another friend; they're looking for a leader. "If your firm faces tough times, don't try to protect people from the truth, says Jamie Showkeir, a principal with Phoenix-based leadership consultant Henning-Showkeir & Associates and who wrote "Authentic Conversations" with his wife, Maren. Be honest, even if that means layoffs are pending. "It's amazing the energy that will engender and the creativity in trying to reduce the number of layoffs," he said.

• Form a bond. That helps leaders get more out of their people. Welch once took his team to Alcatraz during a visit to San Francisco. Not that you have to link arms at a prison island. Sometimes all it takes is a handwritten note of thanks. "People will then believe on an emotional level that their leader cares about them," said Welch, author of "Grow Now. " "That will build trust. And trust is the most important thing a leader gains from his people."

• Confront problems. "If you avoid conflict, it gets worse and erodes trust," Welch said.

• Share information. Don't wait until your people absolutely need to know something. Give them details as soon as you can. "Don't use information as power," Welch said.

• Let people choose. You'll get more out of them if they decide whether to be accountable for a task."It's not something mandated or thrust upon them," Jamie Showkeir said. The leader should make sure people know how their work fits in the larger organization. Then they'll find ways to get their job done and be accountable for their work.

• Encourage other viewpoints. "Conversations that have to do with dissent are not often highly valued," Showkeir said. But if you spark such talk, you'll get better ideas. Welch says a good leader should listen 98% of the time and talk 2%.

• Stay positive. Who wants to be held accountable if they're berated for making a mistake? Make mistakes a learning experience, and people will step up. "If you treat someone like a child, they'll respond like a child," Maren Showkeir said.

• Share the laurels. When leaders hog all the credit, they erode trust. "The ironic part is, you gain more recognition yourself and gain a stronger team if you give more credit to others," Welch said.

• Hit the road. Meet with others in their cubicles, rather than calling them into your office. "It's a huge show of respect when you go to others' offices," Welch said.

• Lighten up. Avoid scare tactics. "The enemy of growth in any organization is fear," Welch said. "Employees become like turtles, hiding their heads in their shells."