How Do You Build Accountability?

In a recent discussion, a frustrated leader proposed strengthening accountability in his team through added forms and write-ups for missed process steps. When I asked if his team understood the importance of following the steps, the leader admitted uncertainty. Despite his frustration, the solution wasn’t more imposed accountability. Rather, what was needed was self-accountability by the team, which required them to understand why they needed to meet the expectations.

Lately, I’ve spoken with numerous business leaders who have expressed concerns about a lack of accountability in their organizations. Their challenge is that the traditional punitive thinking about accountability poses risks and harms team cultures. To resolve this, leaders must redefine their approach to accountability.

To establish a healthy culture of accountability, leaders must prioritize self-accountability for themselves and their teams. When dealing with employee performance issues, leaders must first assess themselves to ensure they are leading as effectively as possible. They must then get feedback from the employee about what is hindering performance and ensure that the employee understands why their performance is detrimental for the team. Ultimately, the goal is not to punish, but rather to support, care about, and help the employee succeed.

Of course, repeated subpar performance eventually requires an escalation of counseling, but far too often leaders impose punitive accountability rather than holding themselves accountable and working with the employee to solve the challenges. Approaching accountability from a positive perspective requires having a good relationship with the employee, seeking their input, and ensuring they understand the importance of their contributions. This takes more time than the traditional punitive approach, but effective sustainable self-accountability is rooted in leadership, communication, and individualized support.

Is accountability in your organization punitive accountability, self-accountability, or missing altogether?