Accountability Isn’t a Four-Letter Word

“I am going to hold you accountable” can be seen as a threat or an act of support. How can that be? Unfortunately, accountability is often used as punishment which is not indicative of excellent leadership. Some managers say accountability needs to be applied when they really mean they are not pleased with results, and plan to use counseling or worse as consequences.This is not what accountability means at all. In the practice of leadership, it cannot be seen in such a negative light. Let’s break this down a bit and take a look at what accountability is and is not. Then we can build a path to creating a healthy use of the term and more importantly, how to employ it in your workplace.

What Accountability is NOT

Holding someone accountable should never be seen as a threat. That is an outdated tactic from the past. Great leaders know that threatening their followers is something they should never do. Accountability is not about specifically performance managing (another term that is often misunderstood or misused). It is not an event or a one-time thing. Accountability is not confrontational.

Accountability should not be something that people fear on either side of the equation.

What Accountability IS

Accountability starts at the individual level. If we want to talk about holding someone accountable, no one can do that better than each of us holding ourselves to high standards. We must be personally accountable above all else. If we seek to blame, point fingers, or turn the other way then any form of being accountable is lost. Accountability is about partnership. Agreeing with others that you will do your fair share to the best of your ability. It is about responsibility - doing what you say you will do and seeking feedback and input from others along the way to ensure everyone can be successful.A lack of accountability individually or within a group setting will lead to mistrust and disengagement. A leader must establish a set of standards that everyone agrees to and works to satisfy. When those standards are not met a discussion must occur to understand how to prevent future shortfalls. In doing so, trust can be built, belief in the standards and performance of each team member can be relied upon, and an environment of accountable individuals is established.The best leaders create an environment where accountability naturally occurs. Open discussions identify concerns or problems early so everyone can find solutions together allowing the mission to continue towards success.Roger Connors and Tom Smith give an excellent alternative definition of accountability in their article, How to Create a Culture of Accountability

A personal choice to rise above one's circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results—to See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It.”

This paints an entirely new perspective on what accountability can be. It is empowering and connects directly back to the idea of being personally accountable above all else.Accountability is something we own individually first. It is our behavior and decisions that lead to the performance we put forward. A leader’s role is to allow that to occur by creating a safe environment for people to deliver the best of themselves for the good of the team.How can you change your perspective on accountability? Click here or on the comments button above to share your thoughts.Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash