The Agreements for Excellence™ program is a core accountability-based program for teams.  It is a practical process and system which creates more accountable organizations, through strengthening alignment and interlocking commitment to the highest priority activities and processes within the team or the organization.  

There are two purposes for increasing Accountability within an organization. The first is to achieve measurable business results in less time and with fewer resources. The second is to increase morale while the pressure to perform at higher levels of excellence accelerates. Increasing Accountability within an organization has four requirements.

1. Change "Habits" of Performance Execution. While most organizations focus on processes and skills, results are only achieved through performance execution - the link between people to achieve performance outcomes. When Accountability breaks down it shows up as a lack of coordination, poor communication and breaking commitments. Deadlines are missed and quality is compromised. Developing accountable habits of performance execution resolve these issues in a way that is improved and sustained over time.
   
   
2. Track and Monitor Performance Execution. Most organizations focus on monitoring business outcomes, which only identifies success or failure and doesn't give feedback for people to adjust their performance. High performing athletic teams, music groups and business organizations identify key aspects of performance execution and track those results to improve performance that ensures success. When Accountability is integrated into operational functioning, habits of performance execution and relationships are tracked, measured and linked to business outcomes.
   
   
3. Align and Coordinate Priorities. Generally, performance results are compromised when priorities are fragmented between groups of people. Then, people compete for resources, time and attention, resulting in lack of support and focus to achieve the most important priorities. Increasing Accountability means getting people focused on priorities that matter most to achieving organizational success and ensuring that all team members achieve those priorities in the most creative and effective manner with the least amount of resources. Ultimately, there is an Interlocking Accountability established for achievement of business priorities and customer satisfaction.
   
   
4. Focus on Proactive Recovery Instead of Perfection. The highest performing teams sustain successful results over time regardless of an unexpected "crisis" that may surface during the process. It is easy for any organization to achieve high performance for a short time, but when the unexpected happens, the true test of the organization takes place. Do people become paralyzed and blame? Proactive recovery systems have been used to reduce time on projects up to 25% while increasing quality of performance at the same time.

This model of Personal and Inter-locking Accountability was developed by Mark Samuel of Impaq Corp, and is described in greater detail in his books, The Accountability Revolution, and The Power of Personal Accountability

WRHA acquired rights for the use of specific accountability related programs and copy right protected materials, within the Winnipeg Health Region, through an agreement with Impaq signed in 2004.  For more information about Impaq and the accountability model go to the Impaq website at www.impaqcorp.com.