How Does Accountability Affect Performance?

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One of the major buzzwords that can be heard in the corporate world today is “accountability.” In short, this word means to take responsibility for your actions and individual performance, including your mistakes and achievements.

Currently, more and more organizations have started to incorporate the element of accountability into their workforce. This is because it plays a major role in enhancing the company’s overall performance level, which, in turn, helps you reach greater heights.

But how exactly does it affect workflow? What is the impact of personal accountability in the workplace? If you are looking for the answers to these questions, you are in the right place.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

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What Is Accountability?

When people first hear the word “accountability,” they will immediately associate it with negative actions like getting caught in the act or ratting out your colleagues.

However, there is more to accountability than just the negatively stereotyped meanings.

In simple terms, accountability means to hold all people, irrespective of their status, at a common level with common expectations.

At a workplace, the best to accomplish this is by clearly defining the company’s mission, vision, values, and goals to all employees. This includes the part-time worker to even the senior-most executive who will be responsible for accomplishing these goals.

How Does Accountability Impact Performance?

Personal accountability and being responsible for yourself set in when every company employee is given a clear definition of their duties. The employees need to feel motivated and empowered to complete their tasks to the best of their abilities.

Additionally, they will also need to take ownership of all their acts, including successes and failures.

Building this kind of culture at work and fostering it will help an organization yield better performance and high-quality work.

Here are five ways on how accountability helps improve performance at the workplace.

Better Communication

One of the first things to improve when accountability is incorporated in a workplace is communication.

A workplace that practices accountability has clear communication founded on trust, transparency, and clarity. These three elements combined to make way for regular, consistent communication between teammates.

Moreover, there will be clear dialogues and a level of openness between employees, which will prevent hiding errors and mistakes. This will allow them to perform better while also keeping honesty as the main priority of better communication.

Effective Targets

Targets and other performance indicators like deadlines are extremely vital to test the performance of every member of the organization. By setting deadlines, employees will be motivated to deliver their best work within this period.

With accountability in the bag, the employee will also feel responsible for delivering the work on time to achieve higher milestones.

In addition to this, a few consequences will also have to be set by the higher authorities. In case an employee has missed a deadline, he/she/they will come forward to acknowledge and take responsibility for their mistake, thanks to accountability.

After this, the employee will also have to take up the consequences and identify the solution to the problem. This way, they will learn how to perform better and deliver high-quality results before the clock strikes 12!

Improved Engagement And Interaction

Every company has a few employees who always keep to themselves without interacting with everyone. While most of these attributes can be associated with their personality, accountability will help bring them out of their shell.

To succeed as a company, all employees need to understand their role and place within the company.

Therefore, every employee needs to be emotionally invested in the company. This way, they will improve their productivity with fewer leaves in between, which boosts performance rates. The employees will actively participate in the company meets out of their interest by incorporating accountability.

Additionally, applaud the employees whenever they put forth new, innovative ideas on improving the business. This, in turn, will induce loyalty into the minds of the employees.

Better Outcomes

The best way to improve the quality of deliverables of the company is by giving every staff member adequate training. This training will keep them on track with their duties and help them develop their overall skill for that task.

Every employee needs to know their place and importance within the company. By highlighting their tasks, every employee will start to understand what their job requires of them.

Therefore, make sure every task has its own set of targets and expectations.

They should also be up-to-date with all their ethical duties, legal obligations, and codes of conduct.

Gives Room For Improvement

As mentioned earlier, accountability is not just about taking responsibility. It also gives you the space and time needed to make improvements to get ahead.

With accountability, employers will now be able to identify poor and undesirable performance. However, they will also give the employee a few vital tips to help them achieve the perfect result.

This helps provide better deliverables to the clients, which helps take the company to greater heights.

Takeaway

Accountability is an extremely vital component for a business, especially in today’s business-savvy world. By incorporating this element, your employees will develop a more creative mindset and will become more proactive.

They will also begin to understand that every employee needs to do their part to contribute to the organization’s success. Therefore, they start to work harder by doing the right thing to improve their performance.

With a harmonic team by your side, you will have more focus to plan the company’s long-term goals. So, if you haven’t already had a group meeting about accountability, now would be the best time to start planning for it. Good luck!

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/