Who Wrote This?

Today I want to talk to you about accountability. Yes, you.

A funny incident occurred the other day in the office. An impromptu meeting was formed. Huddled around the workstation of the team's product manager a group of 4 or 5 coworkers and I divvied out tasks from the backlog. Many of the tasks were poorly written lacking even the most basic information such as a description of the work to be done. Some were effectively orphaned for months or years. Others yet sounded less like work and more like a checklist of things that had already been done.

 At any rate, the whole while we jokingly mocked the sad state of the issue backlog pointing out the obvious errors and having a good laugh at each others' expense. After a grueling 6 or so months we finally had the time and budget to pay down some technical debt and the mood was light. Suddenly, a poorly worded ticket popped up. It looked imbecilic. The sort of thing which would receive an F- if the work was graded. I couldn't resist. "Who wrote this?" I asked with a shred of disgust. It was audible enough that a few heads turned. I squinted at the "reporter" of the ticket. The crowd of men in there late teens, 20s, 30s, and even 40s seemed to hold their breath in anticipation. Finally I shrank back into my office chair, visibly sunken and a bit humiliated. The room erupted into laughter. My name was next to reporter, and it was my ticket (and subsequently my shame). We all had a good laugh and carried on. One coworker who had since moved to a new team but still shared the same workspace couldn't help but joke and laugh along with us.

These sorts of incidents happen all of the time. In the sense of professional work, this sort of behavior is not standard, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE. We all get tired at some point and when we are tired we make stupid mistakes. Sometimes they are costly, and sometimes they're trivial. In my 10 years of experience I have been thrown under the bus for the mistakes of others. I've seen entire teams, entire offices, even entire companies close over mismanagement, finger-pointing, and most importantly, a lack of accountability. The word commands a particular degree of respect. It isn't easy or natural to raise your hand look around and say "I messed up" in a room full of well respected peers. Such an exercise is usually thought of as a sign of weakness or at the very least incompetence. That's why it is important to foster a strong sense of accountability and even more important to give people room to learn from their mistakes and grow.

To sum it all up, if you aren't being challenged and making mistakes at work, if you don't receive a fair shake when it comes to problems, and if you don't feel safe to make your self vulnerable in a professional sense now and again it might be time to consider how might you become more accountable. Sometimes it's a matter of personal development. Other times you might need external help and encouragement. Often you just need to take some time off and get some rest.