Accountability. It’s a hot topic, for sure. Our clients frequently bring up the subject when we’re collaborating on content for skills development workshops. They often ask......
“How can we get people to be more accountable for their work and commitments?”
![accountability partner, accountability assessment]()
What is accountability?
What is accountability?Before we look at solutions, let’s start here: Mirriam-Webster defines accountability as an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions. In other words, it’s when someone:
- Actually does what they say they’re going to do, or should do
- Acknowledges doing what they did, whatever the outcome
Why is accountability important?
Too often, accountability appears as a warped or incomplete version of itself. For varied reasons, instead of choosing to be accountable, people use excuses to avoid accountability (see side bar assessment).
Accountability is a critical behavior because it’s what moves a team or organization toward achieving its goals. It’s the enabler of achieving results. It increases productivity, builds trust, and enhances one’s reputation for being honorable and reliable.
Being accountable for a project, a goal, an activity, or perhaps for overall organizational results can feel a little daunting. But here’s the real deal…studies show that people who assume accountability for their actions report:
- Higher job satisfaction
- Increased feelings of self-worth and competency
- Stronger commitment to the organization and/or their role
- Improved creativity and innovation
How do we strengthen accountability?
Being accountable is more than just making a decision to live up to one’s promises. It also requires a willingness to be vulnerable. In other words, to forge a new path or to make mistakes – even ugly, public ones.
To be wholly accountable we have to be willing to leap tall buildings, often without a safety net. It means that we focus on achieving results instead of staying within the comfortable parameters of our position or role. It means accepting the glory as well as the defeat.
To strengthen accountability we must adopt a mindset that enables it. One where we don’t have to know all the answers before we pursue a goal, where we’re willing to learn through trial and error, and where bravery plays a bigger role than glory or comfort.
We start by identifying one goal. As we work toward achieving that goal, we also increase our self-awareness and self-management of four key accountability behaviors:
- Perseverance
- Diligence
- Courage
- Honesty
While certainly each of us is in the best position to recognize and engage our many strengths in these intrapersonal areas, many people benefit greatly from working with an accountability partner as a strategy to bolster development while achieving results.
In parts two and three in this series on accountability, we’ll introduce the concept of an accountability partner and answer the questions:
- What is an accountability partner?
- What makes for a successful partnership?
- How to find and work effectively with an accountability partner?
Topics: