It can be easy to talk about accountability with your staff, but not as easy when you hope to teach them how they can be accountable.
Also, it can be easy for you as a busy business owner to forget that you are the role model for your staff in terms of professional and personal accountability. Thus, your preaching might not translate into action for yourself, giving rise to unwanted cynicism as to what “accountability” should be for your business if you don’t practise what you preach.
What Is Accountability?
“Accountability” can be construed as “taking ownership” for one’s own share of work or one’s responsibility in business activities.
Simply put, “accountability”“ is the answerability and responsibility you and your staff have for your roles – for your business to function and flourish.
Oftentimes, creating a culture of accountability in the office usually starts from management levels.
To ensure your company culture is accountable, have a consistent leadership in place that walks the talk – i.e., by displaying and rewarding responsible behaviours rather than merely giving “pep-talks” on what personal and corporate responsibility means.
How then, can you instil a culture of accountability in your company?
#1 Lead By Example
Firstly, you have to lead by example to your staff on what it means to be responsible.
If you made a mistake at work, admit it rather than to push the blame to others. If you are the kind of boss who is worried about what your staff might think of you if you make a mistake, and thus try to hide the mistakes you have made, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise when your staff also does this when they make a mistake.
If you want your staff to report to work on time in the mornings, do not come sauntering into the office when it’s almost lunchtime. Do not take credit for work that is not yours, even if you are at a higher position than your staff.
#2 Hire Responsible People
Good staff forms the backbone of any good organization. To ensure that responsibility runs in the DNA of your company culture, hire people who will take responsibility.
A useful tip to bear in mind when selecting candidates for jobs would be to ask these them about their past histories of accountability, such specific interview questions to illustrate the situations when they showed accountability.
For example, a useful interview question could elicit when candidates had to honour a prior commitment at all costs, even at the expense of his or her own personal comfort. Another possible question could encourage candidates to recall the lessons learned when they made major mistakes in the past. You might also want to hire candidates whose resumes have past experiences of leadership and responsibility.
The key thing for you during these interviews is to listen carefully to what and how these candidates respond. Look out for candidates who tend to focus on solutions more than problems as well as hire those who show a humble attitude to learn from past mistakes. Past behaviour is an indicator of future behaviour, thus be alert for possible tell-tale signs of irresponsibility.
Read Also: 5 Interview Questions to Ask Potential Employees (And The Reasons For Doing So)
#3 Quantify Your Expectations
Be clear about the specific and measurable results you are looking for in yourself and your employees.
For instance, make quarterly sales goals such as “achieve three hundred thousand dollars in sales” rather than a general statement like “increase growth”. Opt for the tried and tested SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused and time-bound) framework when setting the relevant company, team and individual expectations.
You might even want to get your staff on-board in setting individual as well as team goals on their own. This will make them vested in achieving these results. Staff involvement will also ensure that you guide your staff to set goals that they can stretch themselves to attain. That said, goals should be attainable and not unrealistic.
#4 Write Expectations Down
This practice of writing goals down is not just for visual learners or to appear patronizing to your staff.
Rather, writing expectations unambiguously down will lower the chances for any misunderstandings between you and your staff concerning goals.
Moreover, having expectations written (or typed) and pinned in a visible location of the office (or at one’s desk) can be motivating for you and your staff when the going gets tough.
# 5 Delegate Responsibility And Results
As a business owner, give your staff some leeway to rise to the tasks you expect them to do – without you needing to manage them.
To increase the likelihood of your staff remaining accountable for their output, entrust them the freedom to work towards attaining their respective goals. For example, delegate to trustworthy staff some influential roles that can improve results not just on an individual level, but also on a team level.
# 6 Conduct Regular Reviews
Always monitor and review employee performance with your staff. Avoid the tendency to keep all your nice-sounding goals away in an obscure office drawer without looking at them ever again.
Instead, schedule regular personal sessions to review your staff’s progress towards attaining their individual, team and company goals. Monthly or quarterly appraisal sessions can be useful in keeping your staff focused towards their goals.
Make the consistent measurement of goals your priority and your staff will follow suit.
During these performance review sessions, avoid giving your errant staff lengthy lectures of what it takes to be good employees. Rather, a less condescending approach would be to ask your staff to construct an action-based plan to improve on their existing results. You might have to wear the additional hats of manager and coach in these sessions to bring out the best in your staff.
# 7 Accept Feedback With Humility – And Train Your Staff To Do Likewise
Today, you might still be in your ivory tower thinking that there is nothing wrong with your company’s culture – because you have not asked your employees for feedback on how the company is run as well as how their work lives are.
That being said, if you ask for feedback, accept constructive feedback with humility and improve based on what you have learned, your staff will be motivated to provide you honest and holistic feedback knowing that doing so can better the company’s management as well as each individual staff’s life at work.
Accountability Begins With You
Accountability at your company begins with yourself. Once you have taken steps to ensure that you are a responsible business owner, ensure your staff mirrors your example. Instill a system in your company that rewards responsible behaviors and frowns upon irresponsible traits.
Hopefully, the tips above can be useful guides for you to kickstart your journey towards a more accountable workplace.
Read Also: Signs You Might Be A Bad Boss (Unknowingly) And How To Be A Better One
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