5 Key Realities Of Accountability In The Workplace

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Accountability is a permeating concept.

That’s to say, it trickles down from the leaders to the employees of any organisation. It showcases the capacity of each company member to take responsibility for every action and decision without having to urge and plead.

Workplace accountability is directly linked to the commitment to the work and higher morale of the organisation members. It fosters courage to take responsibility for any faltering episodes and prioritise the tasks according to the urgency. In addition, it presents a team that can not only turn efforts into results but also depend on each other.

There are a few key realities of accountability in the workplace that you must be aware of before including it in your core business values!

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1. Accountability isn’t imposed

Accountability is often viewed as a tenet to be enforced in a workplace. The leaders or managers push their employees towards goals with criteria like standard work hours, micromanaging key performance indicators, strict production controls etc. However, the concept is more individual-centric than organisation-focused.

Accountability must stem from within the employee in a workplace before they can feel responsible towards the team collectively. It’s an intrinsic value that can’t be manufactured in an individual.

With that being said, you can portray workplace accountability by leading by example. You can exhibit the presence of value by establishing excellent managerial processes in place. In addition, you can also depict your confidence in your employees by garnering honest views and entrusting ideas’ implementation for the company’s growth.

2. Accountability is linked to your expectations

The performance of your staff depends on your expectations from the members of an organisation. That means whether the output from the employees depends on the outlook you establish for the staff.

So, if you carry a negative expectation or establish a very low bar for the standards to be met, the performance will automatically align itself as per the requirement.

One of the most efficient ways to ensure high performance in a workplace is by letting the employees take the initiative themselves. By doing this, you’re not only ensuring new ideas to realise for the company’s growth but also job satisfaction for your team members. Besides, you can keep a feedback channel between you and your subordinates to ensure that the information can flow bidirectionally.

3. Accountability is all about empowerment

Workplace accountability is associated with the individuality of the employees. The more freedom you allow to your staff for expression and execution of the ideas, the better the efficiency in task completion will be.

By viewing your employees’ perspectives, you inculcate a culture that appreciates new ideas without restricting itself to conventional organisational methodologies. Since the staff is more invested in the work as it aligns better with their desires, productivity and performance automatically catapult.

One such instance of employee empowerment comes from the online retailer Nordstrom. It encouraged the sales staff to employ their respective initiatives to deliver brilliant customer service. Such a move resulted in higher customer retention due to excellent consumer management.

4. Empathy is the key

Accountability sprouts from feeling attached and perceiving value in the tasks completed in alignment with the organisation’s development. With employees facing dejection and underappreciation, it can become difficult for an organisation to foster a culture of responsibility. That’s why it’s a mandate for the leaders and supervisors to be kind towards their workforce.

One of the key realities of accountability in the workplace is the acceptance of errors. The main objective shouldn’t be criticising the responsible person, instead finding a middle way to arrive at a solution without conflicts.

5. Challenging conversations build the foundation of accountability

One of the most tricky aspects of being a leader or a manager is engaging in complicated discussions, which carry the possibility of turning sour. The problem lies in approaching the employee to start the difficult conversation.

The leaders must know that tough discussions lay the groundwork for instilling accountability across the organisations. That said, being rude to your staff for teaching them or pointing out a mistake is not necessary.

Use a strategic explanation by targetting the root of the issue and providing a solution. This is how you can ensure an efficient troubleshooting session while informing the responsible member of the mistakes committed.

In a nutshell

The accountability endeavours act as a glue to the efficient functioning of an organisation. It not only depicts the willingness of the leaders to go the extra mile for the well-being of the employees but also facilitates higher job satisfaction for the staff.

With tickthoseboxes, you can create a plan as per your goals, promises and commitments to execute with accountability. This work schedule will help you analyse the loopholes your current strategy carries. It will also assist in renewing the company culture to fastrack your success with meaningful collaboration within the organisation.

About The Author

Darren Finkelstein, The Accountability Guy®, is the founder of TICK THOSE BOXES, a specialised accountability coaching practice. Darren is a formidable international accountability coach, business advisor, mentor, and author/speaker, fostering development and measurable results in entrepreneurship, leadership, and accountability. Darren’s tale is one of perseverance, self-reinvention, and resilience.

With compelling execution, Darren has empowered high-achieving individuals and teams from Australia and New Zealand to Latin America, Europe, Asia, the UK, and the US to embrace accountability; after all, it is your superpower.

Darren’s one-on-one and group coaching programs are based on his bestselling business book, “The Accountability Advantage – Play your best game” and the latest, release “NO’ – Building a life of choice without obligation”.

Darren has an impressive background in business, having held the role of “Manager of Commercial Markets” at Apple Australia during the Steve Jobs revolution.

He enthusiastically “walks the talk,” having also successfully sold and exited his lifestyle businesses, which served as the impetus for establishing his coaching and mentoring business.

Join Darren on this transformative quest to accomplish the remarkable.

Read Darren’s full bio here:
https://tickthoseboxes.com.au/about/