Accountability isn’t always easy, but it plays a key part in building high performing teams that strive to achieve your business goals.
In a work environment, accountability means taking ownership of a project, task or process. That ownership isn’t just about reaping the rewards when it’s delivered successfully. It’s also about owning up to mistakes, being transparent about issues and trying to fix problems.
Accountability problems are often reduced to a blame game. Pointing the finger at the person responsible for the issue and sending negative ripples throughout the team. That’s not particularly helpful.
Let’s explore ways to build a positive culture of accountability and responsibility amongst team members. And if that’s not the vibe in your workplace, don’t miss our solutions to fix it.
What Does Accountability Mean in the Workplace?
Fundamentally, it’s about ownership of a situation that results from a person’s own actions and decisions. As a manager, you need to trust that your employees will own an issue when it’s going well, but importantly, when things go wrong too.
Do you recognise any of these situations?
- You peer across the room and someone’s scrolling aimlessly on their phone.
- When you ask for a status update on a project or task, they simply shrug their shoulders.
- It’s team meeting time, but that person doesn’t turn up until it’s already started.
- You need to know sales figures, but the person responsible doesn’t have them.
If the answer is ‘yes’, it’s likely you have accountability issues in your team.
6 Signs There’s a Lack of Accountability in Your Team
As a business owner and/or leader, you juggle an awful lot. Between daily decision-making, fire-fighting and stakeholder management, days fly by before you’ve had time to check in with your team. But that’s when problems can arise. Without a clear direction, regular communication and motivation, people can descend into apathy and an unwillingness to play their part.
Common signs of low accountability in your workplace include:
- Poor quality work
- Customer dissatisfaction
- High turnover
- No culture of trust
- Lack of workplace consequence.
What Problems Does a Lack of Accountability Cause?
What are the results of low accountability? It’s not simply a disgruntled employee. It can affect your customers, your wider team and your business as a whole.
Increased issues and frustrations: relatively small issues and niggles can snowball into bigger frustrations if they’re not dealt with effectively.
Low employee engagement: disengagement can seriously lower staff morale and even lead to a toxic atmosphere. When team members feel ‘meh’ about their workplace, it affects those around them as well as the quality of their work.
Decreased productivity: when people aren’t meeting deadlines or even accomplishing small tasks, it’s a definite red flag.
Low morale: this often stems from inadequate and ineffective communication. When people feel like they’re working in a void with unclear priorities and a lack of recognition, it decreases their motivation.
High employee turnover: when people are dissatisfied with their work environment and don’t feel a sense of purpose, they’re likely to look elsewhere and leave the business.
How Do You Handle Accountability Issues or Conflicts in Your Team?
You’ve picked up on the issue. You recognise that someone’s showing signs of low accountability. What should you do about it? The most important thing is to do something, don’t let it fester.
Have difficult conversations: it’s never easy to confront people with mistakes and poor performance, but it’s important. When people aren’t accountable and don’t own actions, they must face consequences. That doesn’t necessarily mean disciplinary action. An open and honest conversation may be enough to coach them back on track. But make sure you follow up with regular one-on-one check ins on progress from then on.
Act promptly: sometimes a quick email can nip the issue in the bud. Highlighting an action, or lack of action, to the employee when it happens (or when it becomes evident) will hold them to account and make them reflect on their situation.
Performance reviews: these more formal review meetings are a chance to delve deeper into accountability issues and set clear expectations for performance moving forward.
“When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behaviour or a choice,” – Brené Brown, thought leader.
How Can an Organisation Improve Accountability Among Its Members?
Here’s how to start building, or improving, a culture of accountability in your business.
Personal accountability: it starts with looking in the mirror. What can you do better and where have you fallen short in this process? You need to lead your team, inspire and motivate them, and encourage them to buy in to your business goals and vision. When you make promises, be sure to follow through on them.
Set clear expectations and goals: unclear expectations can lead to confusion and a lack of focus for employees. Be very clear about the key results that need to deliver and when. Set KPIs with specific metrics and timelines to give employees targets to reach and a direction to follow.
Open, honest communication: a lack of transparency from leaders can lead to misunderstandings and speculation. People will make up their own truth if they don’t know what’s going on. You don’t always have to tell good new stories. Being honest about setbacks and changes of plan will help to build trust between you and your team.
Listen to employees: sorry to burst your bubble, but you don’t always know all the answers. You’re perspective isn’t the only one – you’re part of a team. You need to work with your employees to create accountability systems that work for all involved.
Consistent feedback: check in with your employees regularly to discuss their work and performance. Make it easy for them to update you on progress and raise their concerns or wins.
Build trust: when there’s a lack of trust in the workplace, work is so much harder. It can lead to resentment between colleagues and time-consuming micromanaging to ensure the work’s done well. With trust comes more autonomy and pride in work and achievements.
Key Takeaways: Spot the Signs of Low Accountability
When you create a culture of accountability in your business, you boost employee engagement which drives key results. You’ll have happier, more motivated employees producing better work. But you need to do the groundwork to make that happen. Your actions as a business leader inform the direction of the team. Before you can hold your team accountable, you need to hold yourself accountable. And that can be challenging.
I’ve been coaching business leaders, owners and managers – and holding them to account – for over 25 years. I can help to keep you on track too. Let’s talk
