Accountability seems like a given at work, but you’ve probably been on teams with both high and low degrees of accountability. It’s satisfying to be a member or leader of a team where accountability is practiced and valued. If you’re driven and results-oriented, accountability is a necessity. It’s something every team should have. But how do you foster it, and how do you identify when there’s an accountability gap?
Increased accountability can save you time and money
This story illustrates what a lack of accountability looks like. I joined a leadership team that had been working on several critical initiatives. As I met each of my peers for the first time, I asked them to describe the work they’d done. Starting a year ago, they had hired a facilitator who flew in from out of town to lead their quarterly offsites. Before each offsite, he would gather a list of priorities and agenda items from the team. I could see they were investing both time and money, so I thought clearly this was important work.
The executive team would spend between one to two days per quarter sequestered at a nearby hotel, discussing the company’s future strategy. Each person was assigned to an action team, and tasks with deadlines were published at the end of each session. There was no question that each team knew what they were responsible for doing between offsites. It all sounded incredibly buttoned-up until I dug a bit deeper.
As my new peers opened up, I consistently heard how they made zero progress between one meeting and the next. Frankly, I was shocked. This would not have flown in my previous company and I found their behavior confusing. The action teams didn’t meet between offsites. No one checked in on their progress. As a result, the agenda and action items had remained largely unchanged over the past twelve months. What was missing? Accountability! There was no real expectation of progress, and the work was not prioritized.
These were not bad people or bad leaders. In fact, they showed a high degree of leadership accountability on other projects. Perhaps they were overwhelmed, stuck, or disagreed with the direction. Regardless of the cause, their lack of accountability resulted in a waste of valuable time and resources, jeopardizing their product strategy.
Accountability starts at the top
Accountability, just like other behaviors and values, has to start with the people at the top. Leaders must embrace and role model accountability before it can become ingrained in your company culture. Without leadership accountability, you can’t realistically expect to see accountability thriving at all levels of the organization.
You know that leadership accountability exists when executives and other senior leaders:
- Set goals, keep commitments, and publicly communicate results
- Challenge one another when projects go off course or timelines slip
- Take and assign ownership, and track important decisions and due dates
In order to foster a sense of accountability, people must both accept accountability and show a willingness to hold others accountable.
What does accountability look like in practice?
When you accept accountability, you agree to meet a goal, own a project, or hit a deadline. You’ll be listed as the owner every place that goal shows up. You follow through not only by prioritizing the work you’ve taken on but by continuing to own it regardless of the outcome. You rally others to join you.
In the end, whether the work is a raving success or a dismal failure (or in nicer terms, a learning opportunity), you proudly profess your ownership. You can share credit or accept blame, but what’s important is that you don’t shirk responsibility. Accountability means owning a project or deliverable from end to end.
Think about how you and your team conclude your meetings. If your team is good at holding yourselves accountable, you will assign owners and timelines. What does this look like?
- Circulate notes with action items for anyone who missed the meeting, or needs a reminder
- Agree on when to check in on milestones, as well as where, when, and how to give updates
- Put a placeholder on the agenda or schedule a follow-up meeting if needed
- Record next steps and check in on progress periodically
These steps don’t just keep work on track; they signal that you’re serious about what was discussed and committed to making progress. Accountability doesn’t happen on its own, and it’s not enough to follow these steps just once. The more intentional you are about holding yourself and others accountable, the more successful you’ll be.
Need help making accountability a part of your core values? Contact us info@reverbpeople.com.
