Beyond Excuses: Understanding Accountability
and it's power to transform your business (1 of 3)
Creating a culture of accountability is no joke.
Accountability is something I’ve learned to appreciate over a long period of time… I’m not sure I’ve always appreciated it (you can ask my dad). He was VERY disciplined and taught me (begrudgingly) the concept that discipline = freedom.
Over the years I’ve been exposed to many different team environments and I’ve noticed that some perform at a very high level where everyone “own’s their stuff” and in other cases they don’t.
I like the environments where people own it and get stuff done. So, I’ve strived to replicate those, where I’ve been given the opportunity, and I’ve noticed when there is a high level of accountability there tends to be higher levels of; Trust, collaboration, high quality work, high performance, faster problem solving… all this good stuff.
Let's clarify what we mean when we talk about accountability, and how it differs from responsibility.
Definitions that Matter:
Accountability: This is the quality or state of being accountable, particularly an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions.
Responsibility: This refers to a specific task that one is required to do as part of a job, role, or legal obligation.
Culture: This encompasses the attitudes and behaviors characteristic of a particular group.
Have you ever hired someone that did everything they were responsible for, they checked off all of the items on the list, but the outcome fell short of your expectations?
It’s crucial to understand the distinction between responsibility and accountability:
Don’t Confuse Responsibility with Accountability.
While responsibility is often task-oriented, accountability goes deeper. It's more focused on the results of those tasks and carries a sense of ownership over those results. For instance, you might be responsible for sending out a report, but you're accountable for its accuracy and its impact on the team's decision-making.
So, why does this distinction matter, and why is accountability so powerful?
Accountability is most effective when everyone in your organization:
Knows what is expected of them.
Knows where they and others stand compared to those expectations.
Sees their leader take action regarding those who are underperforming.
Sees the leader acknowledge hitting or exceeding performance expectations.
This creates an environment where clarity reigns, performance is consistently measured, and contributions (or lack thereof) are addressed directly. It builds trust and drives results. In my next post, we'll dive into the four essential keys to unlocking this power within your own department.
Ping me if you want to know more… next week will be part 2 of 3.
-Joe