When there is effective leadership in an organization, accountability is typically valued by the leaders and their team members.
Accountability is important to organizational success. When folks feel they are responsible for their own actions, they tend to work harder and feel a deeper commitment to their role within the company. It is linked to good performance and high morale.
As leaders, how do we get better at being accountable? It’s a bit of a nebulous concept when we think of improving accountability at the leadership level.
The RACI model
There is some confusion around how many folks use the word accountability. In our coaching work and professional development workshops, we refer to the RACI model to help confirm the context and understanding of accountability.
The RACI model refers to who is engaged and at what level in decision making and implementation of ideas. The acronym stands for: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted or Informed. Contrary to the order of the letters in the acronym, Accountable is the highest level and usually management. The accountable party is the manager or leader who assigns the work and is accountable for overall success.
The person to whom management delegates the work, an employee, is Responsible for getting the task accomplished (ie. responsible for getting the work done but not accountable for whether they were the right person to do it, not accountable for making sure they were given the tools to accomplish it properly, etcetera). So, in this model, employees are generally “responsible” and managers are generally “accountable.”
Improving Leadership Accountability through Self-Awareness and Reflection
According to the Harvard Business Review, accountability is problematic for many in leadership roles. They report that more than 80% of managers admit that they have “limited to no” ability to get employees to complete assigned work.
Employees who were surveyed underscored that this perception is true. More than 90% of employees reported that leaders would benefit from learning how to get tasks accomplished with their team members.
Self-awareness and self-reflection help the LEADER be more effective by being fully accountable.
Here’s where self-awareness and self-reflection come in: You can’t blame the staff members for the lack of accountability. It indicates that there is a lack of effective leadership.
It can be helpful for a leader to take a moment to think objectively and honestly about the workplace. Are there any accountability gaps in their leadership? There may be things that, as a leader, they could communicate or delegate differently that would strengthen and bolster the work of those who are Responsible for tasks.
Leaders need to consider whether they have inadvertently:
- Assigned competing priorities.
- Set unclear goals
- Created confusion around expectations
- Struggled to motivate underperforming team members
- Failed to create trust relationships with employees or to deal with conflict on the team
For leaders to succeed with their own accountability, they need to understand their own weaknesses and biases as well as their strengths. Everyone benefits from leadership development – good leaders can become great and the very best leaders benefit from time to work on their leadership toolkit. (Pro tip: Our Emotionally Intelligent Leadership course is a great way to build and strengthen your own emotional intelligence to improve your leadership and relationship management skills.)
Effective Leadership Strategies
Here are some strategies effective leaders use to set their team members up for success (which, of course, makes the leader taking Accountability for getting things done easier):
1. Help team members see how their own work aligns with the organization’s mission, values, vision and strategy.
Work that has meaning is very motivating, as is feeling part of something bigger. Having a sense of purpose is vital to improving productivity and morale. As we’ve discussed before, it’s a problem when your values don’t line up with your company’s.
2. Set performance goals for your team.
Thoughtful goals that align with the company’s goals work best when they incorporate both short- and long-term goals. Setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) offer clarity around what needs to be done and why it matters to the bigger picture. Here’s how to set goals for your team.
3. Empower your team members.
When can some members make their own decisions? What resources can you provide to help employees grow professionally? If you are always finding the solutions, others won’t learn to take on that responsibility themselves. Giving your team members the ability to make certain decisions will make them feel more involved. Leaders and managers can learn how to build a stronger, more self-reliant team with the COACH Approach to Leadership.
4. Encourage open communication and provide feedback.
This is critical. If employees feel communication is open and fair, with the goal of getting better rather than laying blame, they’re more likely to share new ideas. Positive feedback is critical because if they feel they are being unfairly criticized, they will shut down. If you are able to not only share effective feedback, but also handle criticism well, employees are more likely to thrive.
5. Do some team building.
When employees feel they can trust each other, they will work better collaboratively. The goal is to build healthy conflict around ideas. Once this happens, people are more motivated to talk about how to do better.
Building a Culture of Accountability and Performance
When there is effective leadership, we see:
- Employees who express satisfaction (or even happiness) about their work.
- Things staff members say indicate they are future ready.
- Team members are willing to collaborate, discuss ideas and bring new initiatives to the team for discussion.
- They are self-reliant and take responsibility for sharing about what they’re doing.
Coaching can help develop strong, capable and successful leaders.
Additionally, executive coaches can help leaders learn – and teach their team members – how to delegate more effectively. If employees feel they are trusted to do important work, they feel more satisfied and usually take initiative to do more.
Another strategy is to ensure that there are ways to monitor and measure performance. When systems are in place, it’s easier to hold people accountable for their tasks and responsibilities. Some practical steps to avoid poor performance include helping team members break tasks down into milestones and setting goals they can achieve. Another is scheduling regular one-to-one check-ins with employees to evaluate progress and keep things on track.
Coach’s Questions
What areas of your leadership are challenges for you? Where are the gaps? What can you do this week to start being a more accountable leader?
