An overarching professional theme across both individuals and organizations alike is accountability. Not only can this trait contribute to a professional’s longevity, it also plays an important role in determining the success of any given organization. A great sense of accountability is what separates a good employee from an outstanding employee. Accountable employees lead to increased productivity, which can mean an even more enticing bottom line for your organization. This post will detail accountability as a trait as well as how it relates to employees and their organizations.
You might think that accountability starts with employees, but the truth is, the ability to hold employees accountable should be a skill in every managers’ repertoire. However, recent research indicates that four in five managers feel as though they have little to no ability to hold their staff accountable. The same research found that nine in ten employees have indicated that their organizations should further prioritize managers being able to hold their coworkers accountable more effectively.
In order to accomplish this, though, it often takes leading by example. Members atop an organization’s hierarchy need to set the bar high in regards to accountability to truly set forth the best example possible. This means the moment a mistake is made, the employee responsible should feel comfortable enough to admit it and then work towards solving the issue at hand. Being able to communicate about the mistake or issue also leads to less of the same mistake being made by other employees.
Accountability in the workplace starts in the hiring process. Bringing employees onto a team that display no signs of accountability is not a solution. Your organization should prioritize applicants who are able to admit when they’ve made a mistake as these are likely the people willing to work through the mistake and help other employees from making the same mistake.
Organizations as a whole should feel more responsible in regards to fostering a business-wide sense of accountability. This is most easily accomplished through defined company goals and expectations of employees. From the moment they’re applicants, these goals and expectations should be clear to potential employees so that when and if they join the organization, they can understand what they’re expected to do and accomplish immediately. It’s also important that these employees understand how their role contributes specifically to the success of their organization. Knowing their contribution, most employees find a renewed sense of productivity and satisfaction with their position. This communication is not meant to be one-sided. Opening up all channels ensures that employees will fully understand their responsibilities and if they don’t, they’re able to freely voice their concerns and ask questions when necessary.
Creating a culture of accountability in the office can be difficult, but once accomplished, the organization as a whole can be strengthened and individuals within the organization can find more satisfaction with their work. For more information regarding companywide accountability, be sure to review the infographic coupled alongside this post. Courtesy of Minute7.
