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Leadership topics are often of interest to leaders. They may have read a book, or attended a key note session where they recognized the need for an idea that was meaningful to them within their organization. They can get quite excited when this occurs. It becomes like a constant drumbeat. Soundbites are then repeated. The leader tries to get the message across by repeating it over and over. This rarely happens.
Accountability is often a subject that people struggle with. What does accountability look like when it is put into practice? What is the point?
Ineffective accountability stifles productivity. All the systems, KPIs, and processes in place will be useless if no one is accountable to their objectives and assignments. The required tasks will not be completed within the timeframes. Some tasks may be done on time, but the results are subpar. Many times, these tasks will not be completed at all.
What can you do to establish accountability in an organization that is lacking it? These are some accountability “starters” Leaders are needed.
Related: How to promote a culture of accountability in your company
Accountability: Define it and codify it
Define accountability clearly at the organization level by identifying its behaviors and codifying them. It is important to clearly define what accountability means in your organization.
Regular training can help employees to develop the necessary skills for modeling and enforcing these behaviors. All these actions must then be recorded consistently in each team and department – a standard for accountability across the organization.
Measurement of continuous improvement
Set goals that are aligned with the vision and values of your company. Then, these goals should be translated into specific policies and procedures with detailed documentation so that the team can understand exactly what steps to take in order to show accountability.
Then, you can establish a monitoring system that includes measurement and reporting in order to monitor accountability according to KPIs. You can also obtain employee feedback to help adapt policies to changing requirements.
How to Promote Accountability at Work: Five Keys
Take ownership of your own life.
Team members are encouraged to admit their mistakes and be open about challenges when there is a culture of accountability. Lead by example and consistently demonstrate this type of behavior to create a culture. Make sure your actions match your words. By consistently following through with your commitments you demonstrate that you are held to the same standard as your teammates. Own up to your mistakes, fix them and share what you’ve learned. Truman once said: “The buck stops here.”
Accountability is important.
Follow-up is a way to show that you are invested in the progress of your team and willing to provide the support and guidance needed to achieve their goals.
This also allows for early identification of obstacles and constructive feedback. By scheduling regular checks-in, setting milestones, and utilizing these interactions for celebrating achievements, addressing challenges, and adjusting objectives, you can start to embed accountability in your culture.
In the beginning, employees might misunderstand such involvement and even mistakenly label it micromanagement. They will soon see, though, that this method helps them to do their jobs better.
Reward and Consequences
Set rewards and consequences to reward accountable behaviors. Most people avoid conflict, so this is the hardest part. It is important to hold employees accountable. A leader must be accountable. Holding others Accountable. When rewards and penalties are set up in a fair, transparent manner and applied consistently across an organization, the company’s culture begins to adopt them.
Related: Even the least confrontational managers must take 6 actions to hold employees accountable
Communication accountability better by using personality types
It’s also inevitable that you will encounter resistance when attempting to create a culture of responsibility. There is no magic formula to overcome this. However, knowing the personality types of your team members will help you better understand their preferences in terms of learning, communication and thinking.
This is a quick overview, based upon the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (r) (MBTI), of how various types may view and approach responsibility:
Introversion (I), vs. extraversion (E). The Introvert (I) prefers a process with more written documentation, and meetings one-onone. Extraversion (E), on the other hand, may prefer a more collaborative accountability approach that incorporates verbal feedback as well as group input.
The difference between intuition (N) and sensing (S). People who prefer sensing (S), tend to be more practical and appreciate the step-by-step process. People who are more inclined to Intuition may choose accountability regimes which allow for greater creativity and flexibility. They also place a high value on higher level goals.
Feeling (F): Feeling (F), vs. Thinking For those who are more Thinking-oriented (T), clear performance criteria will be appreciated. For those who are more inclined to Feeling (F), a strategy that emphasizes the importance of building relationships and being accountable with co-workers is likely resonate.
Perceiving (P): Understanding (P): People who like Judging (J), may enjoy a more structured approach with clearly defined procedures. Contrary to this, people who choose Perceiving will prefer adaptability. They also appreciate a more spontaneous approach.
This does not mean that people of different personalities should have different standards for accountability. Everyone must have the same standard. By understanding the differences, leaders are able to tailor their communication of accountability so that it is effective and resonates well with each team member’s personality.
