How To Create An Accountability Culture (That Doesn’t Suck)

The post How To Create An Accountability Culture <br/>(That Doesn’t Suck) appeared first on The Founding Moms.

by Lauren Jones | Contributing Writer

 

Accountability has become a scary term in the world of business. It evokes a sense of dread and fear that we aren’t measuring up to expectations or are underperforming. It feels like a burden and it certainly isn’t very motivating.  But, can you actually define accountability in the workplace? According to Webster’s dictionary accountability is “ the obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions.” That doesn’t sound too scary.

So, why has having accountability in our workplace become this dark cloud shrouding our creativity, motivation, or even performance? Its become this boogeyman of sorts that rears its ugly head anytime you’re called into an office for a (gulp) performance appraisal. Or, as a business owner it’s that feeling of nervousness you get when you peruse last quarter’s numbers or read online reviews.  

But, what if accountability wasn’t scary? What if it was a good thing? Something that leads to more sales, happier employees, and higher workplace morale. What if it bonded folks together instead of pinning them against each other? It is possible. And here’s how:

Share Your #Goals And Expectations 

This step is crucial in any workplace morale makeover. If you don’t establish clear objectives and values for your business, how will employees know what is expected of them? 

Is your culture more laid back or is it buttoned up? Do you encourage coffee breaks during the day? Is Karen allowed to bring her dog into the office on Fridays? Clarifying the company culture and team expectations is paramount to creating an accountability culture. This sets the tone for how employees act in the office, and it also allows for them to recognize their boundaries.

It’s also vitally important to share upcoming projects with your employees and reiterate how they can contribute to their success. Allow your team a seat at the table, and share the big picture with them. It’s a simple way to increase engagement and convey that you’re all working towards the same goal. Employee engagement is critical to the success of any business; however, according to Gallup’s 2021 State of the American Workplace survey, approximately 51% of Americans consider themselves not engaged in their jobs. Yikes! 

The majority of the U.S. workforce (51%) is not engaged, according to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report. These employees are indifferent and neither like nor dislike their job. They represent a risk, and that risk can tilt either way –good or bad.

Give (and Be Willing to Get) Constructive Feedback 

Anyone who’s ever been sitting across from your boss during a performance appraisal or read a less than stellar review on Google knows it’s rough to get feedback. No one enjoys having their flaws pointed out. But, it’s necessary in order for us to grow and learn from our mistakes. In the mantra-worthy words of Oprah: “when you know better, you do better.”

As business owners, we need to be able to receive feedback (however unflattering and painful) not only from our customers but also from our employees. Are we giving our team members clear objectives? Do they feel valued? Are we helicopter managers? It’s important to know how engaged and happy our employees are because if they’re not happy, they won’t be our employees for long.

You can’t have highly capable, productive, and positive employees who are simultaneously unmotivated and afraid of losing their jobs

Trust Your People

It’s tough to let go of the reins in your business. You’ve likely spent years creating systems and practices that you love. Letting someone else take over or make changes just feels…wrong. But, part of running a business is hiring awesome, competent people to help you make your business even more successful. Employees can sense when they’re valued and trusted by you; they try harder, push themselves to be better and take pride in their work because it’s appreciated. Scale back on some of the “just following up…” emails and open yourself up to some new ideas or processes.You get some tasks off your plate, they feel invested in their jobs. It’s a win-win. 

Why Accountability Matters

Simply put: accountability in the workplace is what separates a successful organization from one with disengaged, miserable employees. You can’t have highly capable, productive, and positive employees who are simultaneously unmotivated and afraid of losing their jobs. It just doesn’t work that way. If we aren’t encouraging our employees and setting them up for success, then we’re simply setting them up for failure. It’s not simply about keeping employees happy with free snacks in the breakroom or validating their parking, it’s about using employee engagement as a business tool.

Keeping employees interested in their jobs through challenging them, and allowing them to have a safe space to share ideas is the key to the success of a business. In fact, businesses with a strong accountability culture see an average of 21% greater profitability. Why? Because employees who are viewed as valuable stakeholders work harder, exceed expectations and believe their work directly impacts their own success.  

Creating a successful culture of accountability isn’t easy and it won’t happen overnight. It’s a process, one that can take years. But, once this culture is established and you have employees who are happy to be part of your team, are meeting and exceeding expectations, and are overall happier you will have a thriving business with equally thriving employees. 

 

The post How To Create An Accountability Culture <br/>(That Doesn’t Suck) appeared first on The Founding Moms.