Accountability in professionalism

By Darren Finkelstein
By Darren Finkelstein

The Accountability Guy®

Home » Accountability » Accountability in professionalism
Darren - Megha (3)

Accountability brings out the best in you in the professional world. When we say professional, we mean who is outgoing, smart, intelligent, responsible, proactive thinker, and adaptive to changes. We are talking about an individual who is always answerable for his actions and performances. So, that’s what an accountable person would be termed as well. In the professional world, everyone is responsible for their duties. When we say an individual’s duties or responsibilities, we look at three categories – self, team, and organization. By self, we mean that he is accountable for his role in the organization as an employee. He is answerable for his performance and the results generated.


As a team, it means employees’ contribution to the organizational projects, their success, and their failures. He is now responsible for himself and his teammates as well. And by corporate, we mean that as the manager, he is responsible for the results that his employees or the team generates, his employee’s growth, development, and performances, along with his own. And ultimately, the organizational culture must be set as per the accounting standards. So whether you are working in the healthcare industry, sales, and marketing of FMCG, or in the hotel industry, one has to be professional and demonstrate responsible behavior. So, now let’s discuss how a professional is accountable in any industry.

Accountability quick images
HOW ACCOUNTABLE ARE YOU?

Discover your Accountability Score and increase the probability of smashing your GOALS and Getting Sh!t Done!

Accountability in professionalism

Proactive thinker

Whether you are a doctor or a sales and marketing professional, you must account for the challenges that you might face. For example, as a marketing person, you have strategized for an event; what if the tickets are not sold? How will you overcome this challenge? What if the marketing campaign didn’t give you the leverage you were planning? Then what is your backup plan? So, that is where proactive planning comes into play, where you plan the second step or backup to ensure that your marketing event or campaign is successful.

Follow the company policy and ethics

Every organization has its policies and ethics, rules and values; therefore, as a professional and accountable person, it is essential that adhere to those rules and values. Ensure that you don’t deviate from the policies and guidelines that you have set.

Self–discipline

Every individual must adopt this trait of self – disciplining. It will help them plan a road map for achieving the end goals, ensure that he is punctual and respectful to peers and everyone, prepare small milestones to meet their goals, and become a good team player. All these aspects help you become more responsible and accountable.

Transparency

Transparency is an excellent attribution towards professionalism and accountability. As an organization’s culture emphasizes transparency amongst the various levels and gives clarity to everyone working, this will result in better understanding and improved performance levels. Transparency helps in building trust and a respectful environment in the organization.

Acceptance of feedback

As a professional, it is vital that you accept the feedback positively and understand that the feedback given to you is only for your improvement. Therefore, feedbacks allow you not to repeat the mistakes that you made. Feedback might not always be negative, but it can be praise for sharing your experience and knowledge with your peers to improve and grow in their roles.

Acceptance of failures

An essential part of being professional and accountable is practicing the approval of your mistakes and failures. Ownership of your mistakes can help you improve in the next goal. It can help you understand why you made a mistake and how to avoid it next time. If you don’t accept your failures, you will repeat them every time, resulting in lower levels of performance delivered.

Measure your progress

It is crucial to measure your progress against the road map you created to achieve your goals. It will help you monitor the steps and potholes as you move forward. It will also help you assess if you are on time or not.

Appreciation

In the professional world, it is essential that you appreciate the employees for their efforts and work. The preference might be verbal in front of the team members or giving them the promotion or raise they might deserve. If you appreciate your employees frequently, they will be happy and satisfied and will not leave the organization efficiently.

Training

Training your employees is a crucial step. It helps motivate them to work with dedication and more understanding of what they are required to perform.

Conclusion

A professional individual might not be accountable; if he is not answerable, he will or will not perform as per the required standards. He might not be as engaged and dedicated as an accountable person. A well-qualified, competent, committed, dedicated, and responsible professional is more dependable than one who is not liable.