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What Are Accountability Skills?

By Darren Finkelstein
By Darren Finkelstein

The Accountability Guy®

Two businesswomen stand at a conference table to finalize documents for the launch of their new startup.

Accountability is taking ownership of your actions. It is being responsible for your and your team’s results in the workplace. When you are accountable, you care and are willing to bear the consequences and rewards of your team’s actions.

You might be wondering what are the skills required to be accountable, isn’t it? Well, this blog will tell you the skills you need to be accountable and achieve them successfully.

When you are accountable and accountability at the workplace increases, the organisation functions effectively.

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The Accountability Skills

Accountability increases willingness to take responsibility, and it fosters a sense of respect and enthusiasm. Plus, accountability helps boost the organisations’ revenue and reduces mistakes. So, here are the accountability skills you need to start learning immediately:

Show a Motivation for Results

When you are motivated to get results, you’ll be able to feel accountable. If you are unconcerned with results, accountability is not going to increase.

Of course, to be motivated to get results, you and your employee need to know what results are expected. So, if you are a leader, you need to define the goals and the expected results clearly. Plus, you must allow your team to decide how they want to deliver the results so that they also feel equally responsible.

Be Honest and Have Integrity

Honesty and integrity go hand in hand when it comes to developing accountability. You need to be honest about your progress or stagnation towards a goal. When you have the courage to tell the truth, you build integrity and accountability.

Being honest and having integrity is a huge part of taking ownership of your actions.  

Ensure Trustworthiness

When you are not trusted, your team will not be confident in their work. They’ll feel like you will take advantage of them and take credit for their work.

You must build trustworthiness so that your team knows you are accountable. Plus, they’ll feel confident in taking up responsibilities. You need to have positive relationships, behave consistently, and showcase your knowledge appropriately to foster trustworthiness.

Foster a Clear Vision and Direction

Your organisation’s and your teams’ vision, mission, and goals need to be crisp and clear. When you have the skill of developing a clear, achievable vision, you’ll be able to develop accountability.

Plus, when there’s a clear vision, you and your team will know what is expected. You’ll feel responsible for achieving the vision. So, it’s crucial to develop a clear, achievable vision, mission, and goal.

Ensure you Have Problem Solving and Technical Experience

If you and your team are confused about what to do, you’ll not be able to foster accountability. So, developing your technical skills and problem-solving skills is also an accountability skill.

Plus, knowing your skills can help you develop training programs for your team. When your team knows their skills bang on, they’ll be able to handle more responsibility and thus increase accountability.

Communicate

Communication is a necessary accountability skill. Without proper communication, you won’t be able to convey your expectation to the team. Plus, you won’t be able, to be honest about your shortcomings or good work to your superiors.

Communication is the ability to talk clearly and precisely. It also involves asking questions and being an active listener. When you communicate properly, your team and superiors will know that you hold yourself and your team accountable for results.

Communication makes it easier for you to take ownership of your action.

Be Ready for Change

Change being the only constant in life; it is a crucial accountability skill. When you can accept change and even bring about change in the organisation, your accountability will increase.

Acceptance of change makes you willing to accept feedback, take challenges, innovate, and be optimistic. Plus, being read for change helps you set clear goals and show concern.

Collaborate

Collaboration is also an accountability skill. Working with your team, communicating with them, and cooperating help build accountability. Competition doesn’t always bring about accountability. At times competition can bring out the worst in your team.

So, it’s best to encourage teamwork, collaboration, and cooperation to bring the best in your team and foster accountability.

Endnotes

When you master these skills of accountability, you become a better leader or manager. Plus, your team or organisation finds it easier to rely on you. So, develop your accountability skills to be a success in the workplace.

Are you struggling to foster accountability in the workplace? You might consider hiring an accountability coach from Tick Those Boxes. They will help you foster accountability in the workplace.

Tick Those Boxes will help you analyse your goals, priorities and help you plan your to-do list. This will ensure you increase your and your organisations’ accountability meter. Plus, they will give you strategies to increase responsibility and accountability to ensure an active organisation.

So, quickly master the skills of accountability and be business wizards!