Whether your business comprises 4 people or 40, its success is down to teamwork. Everybody plays their part in achieving that success. And it’s important that you can trust people to do that.
Trust and teamwork go hand in hand, and are fundamental aspects of a business. Underpinning that is accountability. Accountability is about people taking responsibility for their own actions. But when people don’t take ownership of issues or making decisions and solving problems, things don’t get done. And therein lies a major problem for your business.
“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable,” – Moliere.
Personal accountability doesn’t only affect that individual. A lack of accountability has a knock on effect on the entire team and, ultimately, your business.
Here, I’ll explore the importance of accountability for a business and ways that you can embed it in your company culture.
Why is Personal Accountability Important in the Workplace?
“Give someone responsibility and they will do their best. Make them accountable and they will do even better,” Simon Sinek, thought leader.
Accountability’s about ownership. Employees taking ownership of their work, project, task, relationship and all that goes with it – the good and the bad. So, if something goes wrong, the accountable employee needs to own up to it and take personal responsibility for it. They don’t ignore it or blame someone else. They take steps to fix it.
Accountable employees are reliable and trusted – important and attractive qualities to employers. It’s a relief to know that the task you’ve asked someone to do will get done.
When you’re trusted with, and made accountable for, a task it can be motivating. You want to prove that you can achieve that goal and feel job satisfaction. You’re more likely to take initiative and be proactive about problem-solving. This is a dynamic and inspiring work environment.
Why is Workplace Accountability Important on a Team?
Teamwork relies on everybody playing their part. High-performing teams pull together to achieve a common goal with everybody understanding their role within that.
Accountability builds trust in many ways – with team members, your boss and your stakeholders. If you‘re doing what you said you would, everyone you work with will have much more trust in you.
On the flip side, if someone shows a lack of accountability and low employee engagement, it can lower employee morale and damage the workplace culture. Engaged employees can feel resentment towards disengaged team members.
It’s vital that employers or team leaders hold employees accountable. They need to recognise poor performance and the signs of low accountability and do something about it. That may be a quick piece of constructive feedback or taking steps to manage an employee’s performance.
Spot the signs of low accountability in your team
10 Benefits of Accountability
Here’s why employer and employee accountability’s important in the workplace.
1. Build trust: employers need to trust that their employees will do what they say they will do. In fact, to be successful, all team members need to trust in each other’s accountability.
2. Increase productivity: knowing that you’re accountable for your actions can prompt employees into action. Understanding that you play an integral part in achieving a common goal for the business, motivates and encourages you to get stuff done.
3. Better employee engagement: taking responsibility for your own actions, and understanding your role in the bigger picture, helps employees to buy in to the business and achieving its goals.
4. Positive work environment: a sense of ownership and commitment results in a more positive work environment where everyone feels valued and respected.
5. Open communication: clear communication between team members and their employer is an essential part of accountability. People need to know that they’re in a supportive, safe space and able to speak up about issues and mistakes. Regular feedback and check ins as a team and one-to-one (with direct reports) makes this easier.
6. Sense of ownership: being responsible for a task tends to make you care more about it. You take pride in that work and want to do it to the best of your ability. It increases job satisfaction.
7. Set clear expectations: when employers/ managers set goals, they need to be SMART. Specific, achievable metrics give clarity on what’s expected and when. These aren’t set in stone and may be adjusted at performance review time, but they ensure an employee understands what’s expected of them and what they’re held accountable for. This starts from the very beginning with a clearly defined job description when people apply for the role.
8. Promote effective teamwork: if one employee lacks accountability and feels dissatisfied, it sours the entire team. But when everyone’s playing their part and working towards a common goal, teams pull together and support each other to achieve the best results.
9. Boost team morale: an empowering, encouraging organisational culture leads to a positive work environment and happier employees.
10. Sound decision-making: when you’re accountable for a decision, you’re more likely to think it through rather than making a snap call. With ownership comes better decision-making.
Key Takeaways: The Importance of Accountability to Employers
As a busy business owner or manager, you need to trust that your employees will do what they need to do. You trust that they’ll meet deadlines, be punctual, achieve set goals and contribute to the team. The best way to ensure that happens is to instil a culture of accountability in your business. You need to be proactive in creating that positive and accountable organisational culture.
Happier, more motivated employees produce better work and function more effectively as a team. It only takes one disgruntled employee who lacks accountability to upset that team dynamic. It’s on the employer to check in with people regularly, have a two way dialogue (which involves active listening to employees), and provide constructive feedback.
If you’d benefit from a coach to hold you accountable and keep you on track, I’m here to help. I’ve been coaching business leaders, owners and managers – and holding them to account – for over 25 years. I can help you too. Let’s talk
