Time to read: 2 minutes
Article at a glance:
- Traditional accountability relies on external pressure, assuming people won’t do good work unless forced
- At Redmond, we prefer responsibility rooted in intrinsic motivation and meaningful contribution.
- When people work in their Three Circles and feel safe, seen, and connected, they naturally take ownership.
- A culture of trust, purpose, and belonging makes “holding people accountable” unnecessary.
In the traditional corporate world, there’s a lot of talk about accountability.
Holding people accountable. Holding ourselves accountable. We hear it so much that we don’t even think about what it means. It seems like a good thing, but what if there was a better way? What if we didn’t need to hold each other accountable?
After all, holding people accountable means to make them answer for their actions. But what if they just did it without outside pressure?
Accountability vs Responsibility
At Redmond, we prefer the idea of responsibility or ownership over accountability.
Why?
When we say traditional accountability assumes a person doesn't really want to do what we are holding them "accountable" for. It’s rooted in control structures designed to get people to do well at something they would only do if forced.
It also assumes that people don’t want to be helpful, which we just don’t think is true.
Imagine the silliness of sitting down to “hold someone accountable” for work they can't help but do or something they’re deeply committed to and that comes naturally, like breathing. It would be silly to use a progress report to see how much someone is breathing, right?
Holding someone accountable in these situations is insulting to their motive to be helpful and do great work
What does the alternative look like?
Instead of an environment where we have to hold each other accountable, AKA strong arm each other into doing a good job, we want to create a system based on internal motivation, where people are self-motivated and take responsibility rather than needing to be managed.
We believe people want to do good work and don’t need to be manipulated or policed into it.
How does this happen?
Three Circles Journey
When you’re in your Three Circles and doing something you really care about and that makes an impact, you can barely stop yourself from doing it. You’re intrinsically motivated and don’t need someone to keep you in line because you’re doing it yourself.
This is one of the many reasons why we put so much focus on the Three Circles experience, because when we’re pursuing the work that fulfills a need in the world, that we’re wired for, and that fills us up, we can barely stop ourselves from doing it.
An emotionally safe work environment.
Picture yourself in a workplace where you feel like you’ll get in trouble for trying things and making mistakes, you have little autonomy in your work, and you’re treated like a means to an end instead of as a person. You probably won’t connect with your work, right?
A hostile environment like this will put anyone on the defensive, which is completely understandable. You won’t be able to take responsibility for your work because you aren’t truly committed; you’re just trying not to rock the boat.
But a place where you feel like you belong, you’re helpful, you’re a part of something bigger than yourself, and you’re part of a strong team? Holding you accountable is silly and unnecessary because caring about your work will happen naturally.
Motivation From the Inside Out
Here’s the big question: Are you being held accountable by some external source, or are you taking responsibility?
One of our deepest human spiritual needs is feeling that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. We try to create that something at Redmond with our mission to elevate the human experience in body, heart, mind, and spirit.
When we feel like we’re part of something special, that we’re being helpful and that our work matters—that we matter—there’s nothing more motivating than that. We aren't just working for a paycheck or to stay out of trouble. We want to contribute because our work means something to us and others.
