Episode 237 | The First Steps to Accountability Mastery

Maureen Werrbach (00:00:01) – You’re listening to the Group Practice Exchange podcast, where the business development resource for group practice owners, where we talk candidly about business ownership and leadership. I’m your host, Maureen Werrbach. 

This episode is sponsored by Therapy Notes. Therapy notes is my favorite EHR, and it’s one that I’ve been using in my own group practice since 2014. They’ve got everything you need to be successful in your group practice, and they’re constantly making updates and have live support. If you want two free months of therapy notes, go to therapynotes.com/r/thegrouppracticeexchange. 

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Hey there podcast listeners, welcome to another episode where we dive into the strategies and framework to level up your business game. Today we’ve got something special in store for you. We’re going to talk about this game changing system that’s designed to revolutionize accountability in your group practice.

Maureen Werrbach (00:01:31) – So we’re going to talk about the accountability equation. And you might be wondering why another accountability system. Well let’s buckle up because the accountability equation is not just another system. It’s a holistic approach that addresses gaps that other programs may have missed. This program is borne out of real world experience and is honed through coaching countless other group practice owners, and it brings a fresh perspective through its visionary lens. I’ve spent years thinking I was holding people accountable by just having a job description that listed out expectations and having discussions when those expectations weren’t met. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized what true accountability looks like. Clear, measurable expectations, data teams agreeing to those expectations. Accountability outcomes for not meeting those expectations. So after years of reading books on accountability and leadership and communication, I created the accountability equation, which combines some of the best strategies from different accountability, communication, and leadership strategies, along with important components that I found valuable after over a decade of business ownership. So let’s break down the accountability equation into its five essential components, which I’ve called the five A’s assemble, assess, assign, audit, and action plan.

Maureen Werrbach (00:02:58) – Each step is a crucial part of the journey towards building a robust accountability structure that eliminates redundancies and ensures that everyone knows their roles. So the first one is assemble. In the assemble phase, you’re going to lay out the foundation by defining the roles and functions within your organization. Think of it as envisioning where your business should be, not trying to squeeze your existing team into roles that might closely align with what they’re already doing. You’ll want to build roles and functions that best helps your business thrive, not just check off that you created something that keeps the status quo. We’ll guide you through creating a roles and functions meeting agenda that helps you create that roles and functions matrix, and how to design a matrix that will set the stage for success. Once you do that, we will move over to assess which is the second a. So once roles are defined, it’s time to assess your leadership team. Are the right people in the right roles? The step involves a comprehensive business leadership overview assessment, and that is what you’ll take as the business owner to help you see if your current leadership team is actually supporting your business and you the way it needs to.

Maureen Werrbach (00:04:13) – And then there’s a leadership self-assessment that your current and any potential future leaders can take that sort of self screens, they’re fit to leading. And then we’ll explore the key tenets of a great leader. We then move to the third A, which is a sign with roles and functions clarified and leaders assessed. It’s time to assign accountabilities using your accountability tracker. This hub becomes the nerve center for leaders, ensuring alignment with the broader vision. It’s what you and your leadership team create that lines up with where you want to be in the next year. We’ll also delve into different coaching strategies that will guide your team towards success. In this section. We’ll then move to the fourth A which is audit. So regularly auditing goals and responsibilities is the next step. You’ve developed a list of KPIs and dashboards for different aspects of your business, to help you ensure that you have a constant pulse on the performance metrics in your business. This step keeps everyone on track and provides insights for. Ongoing improvement in accountability equation. We create several dashboards that give you the health of your business within a moment’s notice.

Maureen Werrbach (00:05:24) – And those are financial, clinical, HR, administrative, and hiring. Onboarding. And then lastly, the fifth A is action plan where you’ll build leadership meeting agendas that actually yield results. So this step ensures that your meetings are purposeful, focused, and drive your business forward. It’s where you take the results that you have, and you create action to fixing any accountabilities that actually are not being met. So now that I’ve explained the core concepts of the accountability equation, I want to talk a little bit about why incorporating it into your practice is going to be a game changer. So one, it helps strengthen your organizational culture. Accountability lays the groundwork for a robust organizational culture in an era where workplace culture is key. Accountability ensures that everyone understands expectations, the direction of your business, and actively contributes to your business’s success. It also helps in managing change effectively. So change can be daunting. It can be scary for a lot of people, but accountability minimizes that resistance. The program breaks down siloed departments.

Maureen Werrbach (00:06:32) – It fosters communication and understanding so you can say goodbye to the fear of change and hello to a more adaptable United team. It also helps with valuing team members, so accountability fosters a sense of value among team members. Clarity and roles and responsibilities eliminates confusion, which promotes morale and a positive work environment. It also helps with effective communication, so leadership sets up the tone for communication within the organization. It happens from leadership. How we communicate is modeled by our leaders. The accountability equation establishes clear lines of communication through very structured meeting agendas and transparent accountabilities across your business. It also helps with increased engagement when everyone understands their role. Collaboration just naturally flourishes, so the program promotes teamwork, turning accountability problems into collaborative problem solving activities. So you might be wondering, well, what makes the accountability equation different? Here are a few differentiators that I think sets it apart from the crowd of other accountability programs. First, it has an anti-oppression focus addressing a gap in traditional accountability programs. The accountability equation incorporates an anti-oppression lens.

Maureen Werrbach (00:07:53) – It encourages leaders to consider equity, inclusivity, and combat systemic biases within our accountability structures. We have coaching for success, while other programs help create accountabilities. They often fall short on the implementation piece, or maybe the lack of implementation. The accountability equation goes beyond guiding leaders to coach their teams to success. After all, accountability isn’t just about setting goals, but achieving them through effective coaching. It also discusses consequences and trust. The accountability equation involves consequences for not meeting those expectations or not meeting those accountabilities, and the program emphasizes building trust through an open communication and consistency lens. It guides leaders on when and how to implement consequences effectively. And then lastly, self-reflection and continuous improvement is in here. So the program integrates self-reflection as a core aspect of accountability. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where individuals identify areas for growth and take ownership in their own development. So hopefully you’re intrigued, and you might be wondering if the accountability equation is right for your business. And I believe that the answer is a resounding yes.

Maureen Werrbach (00:09:10) – These concepts are universally applicable, and it’s important for a practice of any size. Now, how you implement the accountability equation or how it looks as you’re implementing it does look different depending on the size of your practice practices that have no leaders. For example, where the practice owner is the only person doing all of the leadership roles is going to look different. How accountability ends up getting set up. But it creates or sets the stage, I should say, for your team as a whole, to be able to see what areas of business you’re actually working on besides just being the business owner. And it lets them know potential future openings in leadership that will become available as your business grows. Whereas an established practice that is maybe larger and has an existing leadership team, you’re going to be able to see in this instance how the accountability equation helps them sort of step up and see where they might have been missing some accountabilities or not following through the way they should have previously. So there you have it, a sneak peek into the accountability equation.

Maureen Werrbach (00:10:15) – I believe it’s a transformative program designed to redefine accountability in group practice. So if you’re ready to level up your business and create a culture of clarity and collaboration and success, start by taking the Accountability Equation quiz to see which you’re needing the most help on, and then join our next group cohort that is starting soon. Links are going to be in the show note. So until next time, keep thriving. 

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