In my blog Power of Delegation, we briefly touched upon various factors that may hinder leaders from delegating. One of those factors was that the leader may not be confident that their subordinates can do the job of the same quality as the leaders themselves.
It is a common occurrence for leaders to harbour feelings of distrust towards their team members, stemming from previous experiences where these team members failed to meet expectations. A major contributing factor that is responsible for such underperformance is the dearth of accountability in the workplace.
In this blog, we will talk about a few steps to make our workplaces more accountable, especially for entry-level and lower-middle-level team members.
I will start by pointing out the factors that hinder building an ‘Accountable Workplace’.
Employee Specific Factors
- Transition Issues – Team members are unable to manage the transition from the Classroom to the Workstation and are acting as if they are still in college.
- Lack of Training – Adequate, job-specific training was not imparted during induction.
- Awareness Gaps – Unclear communication about deliverables, goals, objectives, duties, etc.
- Trust Deficit – Team members are unwilling to take any risks and initiatives due to a lack of trust in their managers.
Organisation Specific Factors
- Low Connect – Lack of connection between team members and the organisation, leaving individuals with little or no support systems.
- Work Culture – The organisation’s culture doesn’t promote meritocracy, is prejudiced, and fosters favouritism and nepotism.
- Lack of Empowerment – Insufficient decision-making authority leads to too many approvals and frustration build-up.
- Leadership Attitude – Leadership lacks interest in the performance of the team members and doesn’t give them confidence to take initiative.
Creating a Culture of Accountability
This brings us to the question, “What can we leaders do to create a culture of Accountability in the Workplace?” I have a few suggestions:
1. Set Clear Expectations
Clarity of expectations forms the foundation of accountability. All team members must clearly understand their roles, responsibilities, and the importance of their contributions. How are they contributing to the overall growth of the organisation?
Merely telling this once is not sufficient. This has to be communicated repeatedly to ensure that it is well-engrained in the thought process.
2. SMART Goal Setting
SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound) goals must be set for all team members individually after mutual deliberation and agreement. They should also be made aware of the review mechanism for measuring the progress levels of these goals.
A proper review mechanism must also be put in place, clearly specifying the frequency and periodicity of these measurements, rewards for doing well and the punitive measures for not doing well.
If you’re going to be a leader, you’re not going to please everybody. You have to hold people accountable, even if you have that moment of being uncomfortable.
Kobe Bryant
3. Regular Feedback
Timely and regular constructive feedback plays a crucial role in fixing accountability. Feedback must be given for both good work and areas of improvement. Regular feedback sessions establish open communication channels. Feedback sessions can also be used as an opportunity to reiterate the expectations and goals.
4. Empower Decision Making
Team members must be encouraged to make decisions within their scope of work. This empowers them and reinforces their accountability for the outcomes of those decisions.
As a part of the empowerment process, the leaders must also ensure that the team members have access to all the necessary resources and tools needed to complete their tasks effectively. A lack of resources can hinder the decision-making process.
5. Celebrate Achievements and Learn from Mistakes
Accomplishments must be celebrated, even if small, as this boosts morale and reinforces a sense of achievement. Similarly, team members are bound to make mistakes while doing their work. The leader is responsible for supporting the team members in such situations and establishing a trusting work environment. Leaders must ensure that such mistakes are used as a learning opportunity.
All successes and failures must be properly documented and used for future reference and training. This will foster a culture of continuous improvement in the organisation.
6. Create Support Systems
Alternate support systems, both formal and informal, should be created to ensure the team members have an avenue for seeking guidance and help. Work buddy programs or assigning mentors from different teams or departments are an efficient way to do it.
Having someone as a role model or mentor to support, guide and answer questions can significantly enhance their accountability and overall job satisfaction.
7. Training and Refreshers
Regular as well as on-demand training and refresher sessions must be available to the team members at all times. All SOP documents, process manuals, instructions, etc. must also be made available in a suitable format for easy reference.
Having the right skills and confidence equips them to handle challenges, and thus, they are more likely to take ownership of their tasks.
8. Lead by Example:
It is no rocket science that accountability starts at the top. Leaders must demonstrate a strong commitment to their responsibilities and deadlines, setting a standard that the team members can follow.
Conclusion
Creating a culture of workplace accountability involves clear communication, empowerment, skill development, and nurturing a sense of ownership. It requires consistent effort, and the positive impact on productivity, engagement, and innovation makes cultivating an accountable culture not only a strategic move but a fundamental necessity in today’s competitive business landscape.
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PS: Copilot and ChatGPT have been used to create parts of this post.
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