Building Accountability

In motor-racing, there’s a concept called the ‘optimal lap’. Say, you’re in a race of 100x1km laps. One of those is your fastest. That’s not the optimal lap.

Computers break down the timing of every lap into small sectors – let’s say for the sake of the maths, 100m. 10x100m=1km. There are 100 1st 100m, 100 2nd 100m, & so on. They identify the fastest 1st 100m, the fastest 2nd 100m, and so on, then add them up.

THAT’S your optimal lap. It will be faster than your fastest lap.

With our people at work, who are we looking for? Someone who matches the best person we currently have, or someone with the component talents that make up the ‘optimal candidate’? How do you know what those component skills are, or who has them? What about the skills your team doesn’t currently have, or skills that aren’t obviously needed right now but will be needed in the near future?

The thing about lap 1 of a 100km race is that you can learn and have 99 chances to apply that learning. How does your team learn systemically from their experiences to improve performance in their next attempt, & the next?

Accountability is a big part of that. Not just a skill but a foundational element of effective workplace cultures.

How can you build that?

Learn more about building accountability for yourself and / or your team, to get better results and building team culture at https://lmac.co.nz/accountability/