The subject of workplace accountability can make people uncomfortable because there is often some fear associated with being held accountable. But holding your team accountable can pay big dividends for your business if it’s done in the right way. Accountability requires trust in others too, and this is a valuable tool to have internally among your team and externally with clients. If you’re struggling to get your team to take ownership in certain areas, here are 4 ways you can approach the subject of accountability without it feeling intimidating and without creating additional fear and stress among employees:
1. Work on improving communication first.
In order to seriously talk about accountability and set everyone up for success, you have to address communication and expectations. Once a goal has been identified, talk to your team about what’s needed from them, the expectations that exist, the goal they are striving to meet, how you’re tracking that goal, and what they should do if they start to deviate from the goal. Effective communication (particularly about expectations) helps alleviate some of the fear associated with being held accountable for something. Discussing strategies to address roadblocks builds confidence by helping employees understand the steps they should take independently to get things back on track.
2. Choose one or two small areas to focus on first.
Aiming to create accountability in multiple areas is impractical if you’re just beginning to address this with your team. Create a master list of accountability target areas by partnering with other managers and leaders at your company. Then, prioritize your list. Choose one or two key areas that will have the biggest impact for your business and work from there. Small and specific areas of accountability like submitting something on time each week address immediate accountability issues. This might be what you need to start. But as a leader, it’s smart to think more broadly about accountability too because this is closely connected to the kind of culture you want to have in your organization. This includes things like holding people accountable for demonstrating your company’s values and for key areas that effect all aspects of your work…like attention to detail, timely delivery of work, consistent effective communication, giving respectful feedback to others, and proactively asking for help. Promoting accountability in these areas will impact your business, workflow, and culture in a really positive way.
3. Have a plan for how to support your team along the way.
Creating and maintaining accountability involves a lot of check-ins. This is where most businesses and leaders struggle because it takes a lot of time to monitor and encourage others. Plan regular check-ins with your team and have your managers do the same for their direct reports. Talking regularly about successes and setbacks helps normalize accountability and reduces the drama around it. People like to talk about their achievements, but it’s important to acknowledge struggles too and make sure you are able to offer support, advice, and solutions before a situation is too far off course. Give your team the opportunity to regularly talk about what is going well and not so well, and have a plan of how you will address challenges and offer feedback along the way. This helps minimize surprise conversations that are more direct and stressful when goals are not being met.
4. Lead by example.
As a business leader, it’s not always possible for you to share your own goals and accountability areas with employees. But communication, transparency, integrity, and compassion are always respected. As a leader, demonstrating your own ability to prioritize, communicate, and demonstrate the same behaviors or results that you’re asking your team to take accountability for, will help you earn and maintain respect. If they see you and your leadership team modeling the behaviors and strategies that you’re asking of them, they will be more likely to work on certain focus areas and follow your lead.
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