We talk about transparency and communication, but accountability is vital in running successful operations. If we don’t hold ourselves and our employees accountable, we’re setting our paths toward frustration and chaos.
It’s easy to talk about job duties and responsibilities, but when things go wrong, it’s also easy to assign blame: I didn’t get the information on time. Other people didn’t hold up their end of the project. We didn’t have the right resources to do what we needed to do.
We’ve got lots of justifications as to why things didn’t go the way they were supposed to. But until we stop making excuses for our lack of action or planning, how can we expect our staff to be accountable for their work? After all, when someone on our team doesn’t accept responsibility for something, at least some of that falls on us as leaders.
When’s the last time you apologized for falling short on something with your team? Have they seen you take responsibility for something going wrong? And have you made it clear that when they accept responsibility for their actions, they’re more likely to get your support rather than punishment?
We need to ensure we’re encouraging and developing cultures of accountability. We need to know and understand what’s expected of us in our roles and make sure our team has that same understanding for theirs. We need to encourage updates to evaluate progress and expect staff to seek help when things aren’t going well, finding encouragement instead of frustration. Waiting until a deadline is missed to raise an alarm is NOT acceptable.
When we act in ways that assign blame or downplay our own responsibility, we’re encouraging staff to do the same. Holding ourselves accountable is vital in expecting our staff to do the same. Adhering to deadlines, performing consistently, seeking needed resources and working as a team are all examples of helping ourselves and our staff maintain accountability.
We need to make sure staff understand that accountability is a requirement of their job. Leaders often put off discussions of accountability to the detriment of all involved. If we function in a way that shows accountability is a basic requirement for all positions, we’re more likely to operate better as a team and as an organization.
And when we are
accountable for our actions and results, we create a more positive work environment.
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