Accountability is an essential characteristic of high-performing teams and employees. As a leader, you can encourage a culture of accountability to enhance business operations and improve employee satisfaction.
What Is Workplace Accountability?
Workplace accountability means employees and leaders understand they are directly responsible for their actions, performance and decisions. Instead of blaming others when an error occurs, employees in an accountable workplace take ownership of their mistakes. This level of responsibility leads to a solution-oriented culture for greater success compared to a workplace that does not prioritize accountability.
Why Is Accountability Important in the Workplace?
If your workplace lacks accountability, you may see a decline in employee engagement or overall company performance. Employees who can avoid criticism by shifting the blame or using an excuse will not grow and will be unable to exceed expectations to help their team achieve goals.
3 Ways to Improve Workplace Accountability
A culture of accountability isn’t something you can form overnight, but rather it’s a long-term collaborative process that requires everyone to take responsibility. While you can’t force your employees to become accountable, you can take steps to create a culture that encourages them to take responsibility for their actions.
1. Lead by Example
A culture of accountability starts at the top and trickles down. Every leader should demonstrate personal responsibility, which means taking ownership when problems arise and speaking up when needed.
2. Set Team Goals
Goals give your team clear guidance on what you hope to achieve as a group. However, it’s vital to remember not all goals are equal. Your objectives should be measurable, transparent and challenging.
3. Work on Feedback Skills
Sharing feedback is key to helping employees improve. When you provide good and bad feedback on a regular basis, it will be easier for you to deliver, and you will reduce the risk of your employees feeling surprised by the feedback they receive.
Enhance Workplace Accountability With The Center for Leadership Studies
Learning how to increase accountability in the workplace can be a challenge for any leader. You can access personalized solutions to enhance your company’s culture with learning solutions from The Center for Leadership Studies. We’ve trained over 15 million leaders and counting in the Situational Leadership® methodology, and we look forward to helping you strengthen your leadership skills. Complete our online contact form to learn more about our leadership solutions!
