Holding others accountable is a vital skill.  There are three essential components:

1. Make a Clean Agreement
2. Capture the Agreement
3. Follow Up

For two years part of my job involved oversight of multi-million dollar facility on 20 acres.  One of my daily routines was to do a site walk and create "tasks" for the maintenance crew and to schedule long term maintenance.  Because I lacked experience I didn't have the eye to see all of the small details.

I enrolled a seasoned construction manager to help train me.  On a blazing hot summer day we were inspecting the condition of the roofs.  The construction manager spotted a tennis ball in the gutter and said, "Be sure your crew removes that tennis ball.  It might not seem like a big deal now, but failing to remove that tennis ball could create a serious problem after the first big rain. It could block the drain spout and create a pool of water that will leak into the building.

I added it to my list to pass along to the maintenance crew.  

He said, "Let me tell you the secret of managing others. I carry an oversized red accounting book to all of my job sites. When asking one of my workers to do something, I pull out my book and write down the task and the date. The next time I see the person I ask about what I assigned them to do. If you let one commitment slip, then your workers will lose trust that you will follow up. They will gradually become less reliable. No matter how small or trivial the task seems, you need to follow-up 100% of the time."

The veteran manager took a moment to teach me a valuable lesson that went far beyond preventative maintenance.  He taught me the value of creating a clean agreement and the importance of follow through. This is a lesson that has always stuck with me over the years.

1. Make a Clean Agreement

Be sure to make a clean commitment. In a clean agreement both parties are clear on the request and the due date. There is no fuzz, no confusion. A clean agreement could look like this:

1. Request: I would like you to do send me a proposal for the Widget Launch by May 1.
2. Clarify and negotiate: Confirm that the requested actions and the due date are clear. Be ready to negotiate For example, “Do you have any questions or concerns about what I’m asking you to do? Does the date work for you?”
3. Close and Confirm: Re-state the agreed upon task and the due date.

2. Capture the Agreement

Capture the agreement so that  you will follow-up without fail on or before the due date. You need to have a system that you trust. While some implement a “big red accounting ledger” or write something on a calendar, I want to identify two effective digital solutions.

Capture the Agreement in Your Task Manager

Put the agreement, person, and due date in your Task Manager.

An example of capturing a commitment in OmniFocus:

An example of capturing a commitment in MeisterTask:

Capture the Agreement in your email system

Since many commitments and agreements are made over email, you can use hack that will both remind both you and Fred of the commitment.  An essential element of this hack is using an email client with a snooze feature.

Here is a workflow for capturing commitments via email.

Send an email to Fred. Add yourself to the BCC Field when you are making a commitment or confirming a commitment. PowerTip: You can email directly into some Task Mangers, i.e. MeisterTask

When you receive a copy of the email, decide when you want to follow-up.

At the appropriate time, the email will return to your inbox. If the commitment is complete, you can delete the message. If there needs to be further action, then you can easily reply to the message or take appropriate action.

3. Follow Up

Depending on the reliability of the person who made the commitment, you might want to reach out a few days before the due date and ask for a status update. It's remarkable how many people make commitments but don't honor them because they forget that they've made them or they are in the habit of breaking them. On the day that the commitment is due make it a priority to follow-up.  If you let it slip, you will communicate that the commitment doesn't matter.  Gradually, the people you work with will lose trust in you.  Conversely, if you are impeccable in your follow-up, people will perform at a higher level because they know that you value clean commitments with a specific date.