Accountability at Work: Why It Is Essential and How to Improve It
3 Min. Read
Why Accountability is the silver bullet* of a great company culture
*Silver bullet: a simple, seemingly magical, solution to a difficult problem.
- Want to increase pace of delivery in your team or organisation? Accountability is key.
- Need more certainty that results will be achieved this year? Accountability will give you that.
- Want to increase autonomy, empowerment and agility in your organisation? Accountability is foundational.
In 30 years of working with leading companies on culture, we have found focusing on accountability has the fastest and most direct impact on business outcomes.
We have countless examples of increased accountability leading to improved results, speed, quality, more traction on transformation, improved collaboration, making the operating model work, empowerment, engagement, and wellbeing.
Conversely, when accountability is low or not a focus, the patterns are painfully evident. Deadlines are missed. Business cases are not delivered. Problems and issues linger. People wait to be told and ‘delegate upwards’. Time is wasted. Underperformance is tolerated.
Over the course of this article, we will look at what we really mean by accountability, and ways of improving accountability in your team or organisation.
What is meant by Accountability?
We take a back-to-basics view. In essence, it’s the attitude and practice of doing exactly what you say you'll do. As our founder Carolyn Taylor wrote in her book ‘Accountability at Work,’ it is the conversation and negotiation between two parties that leads to a promise. Making and keeping promises are at the heart of Accountability.
What does an Accountable person look like?
Think about someone you just love working with because you can always rely on them. When you work with an Accountable person you find their word is their bond. If they say they’re going to get back to you on Wednesday, you know they will. These people are persistent; they see things through to completion. If they encounter challenges that may impact their promise to you, they communicate openly and early. If anything does go wrong, they own it, and figure out how to get things back on track. Imagine what would be possible in your team or organisation if everyone was like this.
What does an Accountable team look like?
A team that is high in accountability gives their word seriously. When they set a target or deadline they will always find a way to succeed and deliver what they said they would – despite all of the obstacles and challenges they might face. Because they are true to their word, they are laser focused on the outcomes they’ve agreed to and they prioritise ruthlessly because they know they can’t do it all. They are masters of giving and getting the kind of clarity that leads to efficiency and effectiveness. They are comfortable engaging in conversations up, down, and across the organisation to make certain that expectations are crystal clear.
What does an Accountable organisation look like?
Employees have clarity on what is expected of them, have more agency over what they take on, and have the freedom to perform. High performers love this kind of environment; talented people want to join and stay. Managers have the confidence to step back, knowing their people will step in and step up. Leaders experience speed, responsiveness, and reliability from their organisation. Big things get done. There is less need for rules and red tape. Customers love it because promises are kept. Boards, investors, and other stakeholders love it because there is such integrity between words and actions.
Why are companies struggling with Accountability?
Uncommon leadership discipline
Building a culture of accountability is simple but hard to do consistently. It requires courage and commitment. It also relies on a style of leader that can set and uphold high standards, but does so compassionately. There is skill in being able and willing to have sometimes difficult conversations.
Lack of psychological safety
To have accountability, there needs to be a culture of psychological safety, where people can voice concerns, have conversations about realistic deliverables, and feel comfortable speaking up about challenges. This is an area where we see many organisations are developing, but are not yet fully mature.
Pockets of excellence, but not scale
All organisations have individuals or teams that are brilliant at accountability, but very few have the critical mass for accountability to be a cultural norm. At Walking the Talk we have a simple, scalable system to create a common understanding of what accountability is, and why it is important. We also have easy-to-use methods for introducing the language, rituals and routines of accountability top to bottom and side-to-side in any team or company.
To give the final word to our founder Carolyn, “Time and time again I’ve seen teams pull together to achieve remarkable things by mastering accountability. I’ve witnessed entire organisations turn around in a matter of months whilst increasing their profitability, harmony, and efficiency”.
“At the same time, it doesn't matter how polished your processes or how brilliant your people are, if you don’t have a culture of accountability, business performance will be negatively impacted.”
Looking to improve accountability in your organisation? Learn how our experts can help you build a culture of accountability here. We offer a range of culture transformation solutions to help you realise your vision for the culture you want to see. Get in touch with us to get started!
