Why must we have Accountability?
Accountability is fundamental to performance improvement.
Everyone talks about it. Leaders want it. Employees are often afraid of it. Executives require it. But
exactly what is accountability, and how do you get people to take it?
How you demonstrate accountability in your daily work essentially defines the working relationships
fundamental to every activity that occurs within your organization.
We often associate accountability with punishment. This is just not so. Life in general is about
accountability. Think about that for a moment. Can we even name one part of our lives that in some way
does not involve accountability?
Accountability is the guiding principle that defines how we make commitments to one another; how we
measure and report our progress; how we interact when things go wrong, and how much ownership we
take to get things done. It is, in essence, the nerve center that runs throughout every part of the
organization, through every working relationship to every member of every team.
How important is accountability?
If accountability is not working in your Branch or area of responsibility, then every effort toward
performance improvement will be inefficient and ineffective. The ability to execute and deliver results is
directly tied to the accountability attitudes, practices and systems that are in place in an organization.
Recently I found myself in the unfortunate circumstance of seeing first-hand how a lack of accountability
had a huge effect on an employee, a Branch, and our organization as a whole.
It was obvious that even the employee knew he had not been held properly accountable for procedure
violations when the employee made this statement in his Separation paperwork. “I knew it was against
policy but it was not enforced”.
Here are some interesting statistics I came across when researching this principle. These show what a
huge time waste we create when we fail to hold our folks accountable.
Liability?
You bet there is liability when we fail as leaders to hold our employees accountable. Not only may we
find ourselves in the unfortunate circumstance of having to terminate an individual when some
accountability may have prevented it, but also we place the Company as a whole in a great deal of
liability by showing a pattern allowing or at least not strictly enforcing policies. Not only could this lead
to a law suit by parties outside of our organization but as well a wrongful termination suit for not
properly requiring or employees to adhere to policies and procedure. This lack of “Enforcement” is the
same as a Leader saying to them, I don’t support the policy and therefore you don’t have to either.
What I learned
I hear this one or some version of it a lot. “But I truly believe that the Best Leaders should be
considered a friend by their employees.” -unknown
Certainly I want to be considered a friend by my employees. As I researched this principle it occurred to
me that we often think that by correcting bad behavior and holding others accountable we are not being
friendly. The opposite is in fact true. When we fail to hold our employees accountable then we are
setting them up for failure. Setting a person up to fail in no way is a show of friendship. In fact when we
do not hold them accountable we lose their respect and truly can we consider a person a friend that we
do not respect?
Greater accountability eliminates the time and energy spent in unproductive behavior that produces
wasted effort and confusing distractions. Recent surveys show that the vast majority of people, at all
levels of an organization, engage in these ineffective behaviors in their daily work. The price that is paid
by both individuals and organizations for a lack of accountability can be significant. In a complex and
challenging business environment, no organization can afford to pay the price for a lack of
accountability. Unfortunately, people in most organizations only worry about accountability when
something goes wrong, resulting in a "Run for cover" mentality when anyone mentions the word. By
introducing a new view of accountability, a positive and principled view, accountability for results
becomes something that everyone embraces as a helpful step in making things happen
How I will implement this principle.
I will Love my folks and be their friend through accountability, not just accountability for them but by
holding myself accountable.
Realizing any training effort, improvement process, or organizational intervention needs to begin with a
clear focus on the business results we want to achieve. Ensuring that those efforts are instilled with
accountability will accelerate our progress and help guarantee our success.
I will help to implement and “enforce” a “Culture of Accountability” that makes a difference on the
bottom line. I will strictly adhere to a positive approach to accountability to ensure that employees at
every level of the organization embrace the behavior and attitudes of accountability that will shape our
daily work and deliver results.
Do I hold each one of you accountable? I have to admit I believe I have room for improvement.
This may seem hard but really it is S.I.M.P.L.E.
S=Set Expectations
The success of IPS comes down to one thing: how well we organize ourselves to focus on and work
toward the same purpose. Our employees need to know what is expected of them before we can hold
them accountable for anything. We can't assume they know what is supposed to be done, when, and to
what quality level. The more clearly we set expectations and goals up front, the less time we will waste
later clarifying - or worse, arguing about - what was really expected.
I=Invite Commitment
Just because our employees know what to do doesn't mean they will do it. After goals and expectations
are set, employees need to commit to achieving them. Employees are more likely to do this when they
understand two things: how the goals will benefit them personally, and how the goals will help move
the organization forward. Once this connection is made they are more likely to buy into the goals, and
actually welcome you holding them accountable for the results. When done right you will see your
employees policing themselves.
M=Measure Progress
You need information to hold your employees accountable. You must measure their ongoing
performance and gauge whether or not they meet the goals and expectations to which they had
previously committed. One way this is done is through Bi-Annual performance reviews.
Goals are only measurable when they are quantified. Measure the results and compare them to your
employees' goals to discover the gaps that require further attention.
P=Provide Feedback
Share the information you gather with your employees. Feedback won't solve problems by itself, but it
will open the door for problem-solving discussions and follow-up actions. Your employees need
feedback to do a good job and improve in areas where performance is falling short of expectations.
Most of the time, giving objective, behavioral feedback is all it takes. Setting expectations followed by
quality feedback is the backbone of holding someone accountable for results.
A note about the way in which you provide feedback:
True feedback is a gift. To be effective, the feedback you offer must come from a sincere desire on your
part to help or support your employee, not to merely fix him or her. If you can't come at it from this
perspective, you may fail, no matter what words you choose or methods you use. Intent is more
important than technique.
L=Link to Consequences
Sometimes employees need a little external motivation to live up to their commitments. When they
struggle to reach their goals, you can help them by administering appropriate consequences. Do not
confuse consequences with punishments. Punishments are those things inflicted on employees that
make them pay for their shortcomings. They do not contribute to a solution. Consequences, however,
will guide and focus employees' behavior and encourage them to take their commitments more
seriously.
E=Evaluate Effectiveness
Once your employees have committed to the expectations you set and you have provided constructive
feedback and support along the way, it is time to evaluate your results. Look at the quantifiable
(measureable) goals you set forth and determine if you were successful at holding your employees
accountable for reaching those goals. Also, review how you handled the process. Find ways to be more
effective at applying the principles of accountability and hold yourself accountable for holding others
accountable. That bears repeating
HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE FOR HOLDING OTHERS ACCOUNTABLE.
I have printed this last part (S.I.M.P.L.E.) and hung it on the wall in my office where I will see it several
times a day as a reminder.
Employee accountability is a big factor in business success. Sure I am busy, but I won't make the mistake
of hoping my employees will figure out what they should do on their own. I will help them achieve
success for themselves and for IPS by setting expectations, inviting commitment, measuring progress,
providing feedback, linking to consequences, and evaluating effectiveness. I will do all in my power to
support and uphold a CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
I know that when a systematic and consistent method is in place and I hold employee accountable for
the work that must get done, and the way it must get done, it gets done – and then some!
With Accountability comes appreciation! I hope that I clearly show each one of you my appreciation for
all that you do to make this organization what it is! I can truly say that I wake each morning excited and
ready to get to work, each one of you plays some part in that.
Sam