How to Create Better Accountability on Your Team

Almost every company could use more accountability in its ranks. The difference between companies that have a high degree of accountability, and those that don’t, comes down to the way accountability is approached.

Companies that focus on holding people accountable are less effective than companies that concentrate on cultivating personal responsibility. The first approach essentially has supervisors acting like traffic cops, patrolling their area to catch and reprimand offenders. The second approach has supervisors function as coaches, who try to get employees to internalize good habits like preparation and best practices.

Hire the right people

If your team is full of people who don’t have a strong sense of personal accountability and who aren’t open to being coached, you’re going to have a tough time maintaining a high degree of accountability.

Before you start trying to boost personal responsibility on your current team, you need to make sure the interview process is able to screen out applicants who aren’t going to hold themselves accountable as your employees.

Set the context

To increase a strong sense of personal accountability, you need to explain why it is important to your team. You need to show how personal accountability helps everyone do their job.

Also, be very clear how you will support employees during challenging times and after mistakes are made. Talk about the outcomes you are trying to achieve and how success will be gauged. Finally, talk about the repercussions for a poor, cynical performance.

Set clear expectations

If clear expectations are set, employee coaching can be fairly straight-forward. Conversations around expectations should be two-way streets, with both you and your employees working to ensure everything is on the right track and set up for success. You should also pay attention to how you can remove bottlenecks or allocate resources to help workers meet expectations.

Give them a sense of ownership

Men and women always work hard for something that they feel a sense of ownership in.

Give staff members the chance to experience all facets of what your company does. When they have direct knowledge of how they contribute to the greater picture, they will naturally feel a greater sense of ownership and responsibility. Have confidence in them to make the proper choices, but also ensure your workers realize that you are available for advice, when necessary.

Give them a sense of pride

When team members feel a sense of ownership in what they do, the next logical step is to instill a sense of pride in their work.

Keep an eye on your team’s outcomes and show every worker how the job she or he does plays a role in these outcomes. Recognize those staff members that are meeting or exceeding expectations and coach those who are not.

At Career Concepts, we help corporate leaders reach their goal by providing them with custom staffing solutions. If your team currently needs an infusion of talent, please contact us today.