If accountability at work is a problem? Here's how to fix it
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Accountability means "the fact of being responsible for what you do and able to give a satisfactory reason for it".
Accountability at the workplace means that employees must accept responsibility and ownership for their choices, performance, and behaviours. Accountability at work also promotes trust, work performance and participation from the team.
When there is a problem with accountability at work, you would usually see lower morale, high turnover, unclear priorities and no engagement from your employees.
Accountability as a word has somewhat a negative connotation to it. The idea of holding yourself or your team accountable is not to shift blame but to take responsibility for the outcome. I have seen managers and leaders show their frustration, yell or even be aggressive with the employees as a form of holding their teams accountable. However, how do you think that will work?
Getting annoyed or frustrated with your teams when they cannot achieve goals will make them disengage even more. As a leader, that will add to your anger, and the cycle will continue.
So, how to set up your workplace where people value accountability? Here's the accountability model I created; it's called P.A.S.T.E.D. It will help you stay on track while you make a culture where others can be made accountable but thoughtfully and strategically.
P.A.S.T.E.D
P = Purpose, A = Alignment, S = Success, T = Training, E = Expectation, D = Disclosure
Purpose
The first thing to consider when setting up authority is finding the drive/purpose. You may want to run an exercise with your team and ask questions such as; what is the team's purpose? Why does the team exist? What are the goals? What's the bigger picture? What are you trying to achieve? Individually, we may all figure out how to get the job done but involving the team in the process will make them feel valued, and once the purpose is defined, they can work towards the common goal.
Alignment
Alignment is about moving your team towards the goals or creating a path so that your team knows what to follow. The alignment will also keep you and your team motivated and measure the progress. This can be done by dividing your goals into smaller chunks or setting up a smaller target, eventually leading to the end result. During this process, you will also have to check for any internal or external forces that can create a barrier. You will also need to define how you will communicate and provide feedback, e.g., weekly meetings on progress, etc.
Success
At this stage, you will need to define the best-case scenario. What is the ideal outcome you are trying to achieve, or what is the acceptable behaviour or actions? Answering these questions will give you clarity and help you share your vision with your team.
Training
An athlete doesn't go to a competition without preparation and training. Your team's skill level and confidence will improve the same way an athlete's skill improves after training. However, you as a leader must identify the gaps in skills and fill them with appropriate training.
Expectation
An essential part of developing a culture of accountability at work is setting clear expectations. Knowing the outcome, how to measure it and how to get there is something you will need to be very clear about. If you're having trouble with making people accountable, you most likely haven't set your expectations clearly.
Disclose
Disclosure is about letting your team know the consequences. Now, like the word accountability, consequences are also used negatively. And when you talk about consequences, you rarely think about good ones. Talk about what it will look like when you collectively achieve something. Make sure to have genuine two-way communication. Be specific and transparent about the results because that will show your authority and eventually lead to a more accountable ecosystem.
I hope these building blocks will help you create an accountability culture at your workplace. It will be helpful to display the accountability model or share it with your teams, so they know what to expect.