Accountability

I often take the train into the city of Chicago and then take a cab to my final destination. For the most part I’ve found cabbies to be pleasant, compliant with traffic laws and knowledgeable of the city. However, failure by the city to hold a few reckless cabbies accountable for their actions casts a dark shadow on cab drivers as a whole.

The Chicago Tribune recently investigated records of 150 cabbies with 3 or more complaints lodged against them in the past three years. Of this group, 37 had been ticketed for violations – negligent driving, speeding, DUI and striking a pedestrian. Of this group, 7 could have been taken off the road based on the city’s rules. However, only 1 had his license suspended. But, even when judges convicted certain cabbies, city regulators allowed some to stay on the road.

So, it seems that there’s a low level of accountability in Chicago. But, think about your business. What level of accountability exists? Do you have a few rules? Are you willing to repeat them often so people understand them? And, do you walk the talk? Failure to hold a few folks in your organization accountable negatively impacts the performance of your entire team and ultimately damages the reputation of your business.