Change often requires that a number of people agree to take on tasks that they will perform on their own. The odds are reduced that people will follow through on their commitments if they believe no one will follow up and make sure that they did it. To influence change, hold people accountable.
Keep track of the things people say they will do, and check in to see if they have completed them. Give them a forum to report their progress. Help people stay on task and on time. Discuss how they can effectively be held accountable, and define what that means. Make sure to agree on the consequences if they don’t maintain their part of the project.
When someone doesn’t follow through, explore what happened that prevented them from success; not to find fault, but to better understand what is holding them back. Then help them find what they need to succeed. If there were defined consequences, always follow through.
How might you hold people accountable for implementing the change?
Read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change.
