In this episode we decided to dive into accountability - a crucial component to any team or organization. We believe the standards of what is acceptable behaviour within the sport culture are changing, but without the proper structures of accountability real change will be slow. The shortcomings of Hockey Canada and other national sport organizations are prime examples of the importance of accountability - click here for a recent article that we make mention of in this episode. Accountability often gets this ‘bad wrap’ and gets interpreted as being overly critically, hard on people, and negative. But the reality is people want structure and clear expectations. This does not need to be a point of contention, but rather an opportunity for collaboration and clarity. The fact is when a culture of accountability is created, it helps both the team and individual people thrive. Thinking of accountability as a proactive rather than reactive process is essential. It pays off to invest the time and energy upfront creating clear expectations and agreed upon commitments. Trying to create a culture of accountability when you are in the middle of a fire and trying to clean up the mess is a lot more challenging. The concepts and strategies we cover in this episode apply to leadership at all levels. Reach out with any questions or comments. Enjoy this episode as we continue to go Beyond the X’s and O’s.