The Accountability Guy®
An organisation suffers dearly from a lack of accountability. Without accountability, a workplace becomes chaotic and lacks direction. Why?
The answer is simple – nothing gets done when people deny or ignore their responsibility to take action, solve problems, and deliver results. Accountability is when people understand their responsibilities clearly and own up to their good or bad actions.
To achieve business goals, everyone must do their part effectively. It allows the employees to work together and find solutions to problems. But what exactly does it mean, and how can one encourage workplace accountability?
Let’s address the true meaning of accountability first.
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Accountability is not about laying strict rules and punishing the people for not adhering to them. Though it’s not what most people think, it is more about creating a proactive environment of responsibility. It means showing up and fulfilling the commitments you said you would do and complete.
It’s about taking responsibility for your work and moving towards achieving it. Building up a shared sense of accountability within the organisation is the first step for teams and businesses to thrive.
However, it’s not as easy to achieve as one might think. Most people resist holding others accountable for their actions because they feel uncomfortable doing it, or some don’t choose the right way. But it’s not something one can dodge and still expect to successfully achieve team or company objectives.
Accountability is a virtue everyone should have, whether a manager or an employee. Yet, many organisations fail to create and nurture an atmosphere of accountability. Data shows that 82% of managers acknowledge that they have “limited to no” ability to hold others accountable for their actions successfully.
However, there are ways to instil accountability in the workplace. Here are a few pointers you can work on to start seeing changes instantly.
Are you demonstrating accountability yourself at the workplace? Well, it’s time to set an example. As a manager, you’re the trendsetter of your team’s performance and work culture. Teammates will follow suit the way you behave within the organisation.
If you show up late to the meetings and keep pushing the deadlines, your team will start mirroring your actions too. Don’t nurture a mentality that you’re superior and can bypass your accountabilities. Start taking responsibility for your actions, and everyone will follow.
That’s the beauty of it.
Goals and expectations are where work begins. You can’t be accountable or hold anyone else accountable if you aren’t sure what to expect or what you should be responsible for. Unclear goals and lack of details create unnecessary gaps in accountability.
It’s essential to bridge the gaps and reduce ambiguity—set goals for yourself and your team. And don’t forget to make them clear and measurable, so everyone knows the end objective. Try to make the goals and expectations as specific as you can.
Giving feedback is easy if you tell your team members where they lack. However, it’s not an ideal way. As a leader, you must make your team members understand what they are doing right and where they can improve.
Giving not only timely but actionable feedback helps them to work on their weaknesses. Have open discussions about their progress, ask about their challenges, and provide resources to help them improve.
Have you ever worked with a team where you felt genuinely safe? If not, that’s the environment you should nurture at your workplace. Trust and psychological safety are the building blocks of creating a culture of accountability.
When your employees feel safe talking about their problems and limitations, it’s easy to work through them. Accountability can only fluster if people are transparent and honest about their current status.
Another way to encourage accountability is by rewarding the one who shows it. Celebrate their achievement and reinforce positivity. It compels others to change their actions and take responsibility more seriously.
You can include accountability as one of the criteria when considering appraisals. Offer incentives to employees who go above and beyond to align with the company’s goals.
Promoting a culture of accountability will empower your employees with a sense of ownership and improve their self-esteem and efficiency. If you feel there is a lack of accountability in your team, it’s time to make changes. Take hints from the above points and pave your way to achieve accountability.
However, if you still struggle to see visible results, get in touch with an accountability coach and see your business flourish beyond measures. Remember, most people want to grow and do their work efficiently. Setting accountability will help them through it.
In the fields of leadership, personal development, and responsibility, Darren Finkelstein, popularly known as The Accountability Guy®, is a shining star. His story is one of perseverance, self-reinvention, and the deep metamorphosis he has attained by elevating responsibility to the status of superpower.
Darren has carved up a remarkable career for himself as a dynamic author and speaker, international accountability coach, advisor, mentor, and mentor that cuts across borders and industries. His influence extends beyond New Zealand and Australia to the many cultural contexts of Europe, Asia, Latin America, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Darren has emerged as a key figure in the lives of high-achieving individuals and teams thanks to his creative coaching courses, which help them reach their objectives and realize their full potential. Darren’s bestselling book “The Accountability Advantage – Play your best game,” which establishes the foundation for his lessons, is at the center of his methodology. As interest in his next book, ‘NO’-Building a life of choice without obligation,” which is due out later this year, grows, Darren never stops inspiring and encouraging people with his distinct perspectives on accountability.
Darren uses a simple but effective method: Get Clarity on what needs to be done first, Get Started on what needs to be done next, and Get Sh*t Done by knowing what needs to be done more of. Under Darren’s leadership, this strategy has helped innumerable people and groups burst their objectives like glass piñatas, unleashing their aspirations and utilizing the accountability superpower.
As Apple Australia’s Manager of Commercial Markets during the ground-breaking Steve Jobs era, Darren made a substantial contribution to the company’s history. Afterwards, before beginning his coaching and mentoring career, Darren and his business partner successfully sold and exited their lifestyle companies. Darren’s depth as a coach is enhanced by his rich background, which combines technological understanding with innovative accountability techniques.
Darren Finkelstein provides hope and a road to success for people who want to use accountability to improve their personal and professional lives. Accompany him on this transformative quest to accomplish the remarkable. Read Darren’s full Bio here:
Read Darren’s full Bio here: https://tickthoseboxes.com.au/
Know what to do first
know what to do next
know what to do more of
"You can't buy happiness, but Getting Stuff Done is pretty much the same thing"
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