Accountability is what gives employees ownership over their work. It allows employees to take responsibility and initiative for meeting their goals and making valuable contributions to the organization. Encouraging accountability in your company can help your company achieve goals and foster a sense of community and trust. Accountability becomes even more important if you have employees working in different locations or with flexible schedules. Here are ways you can encourage accountability:
Set an Example
If you want your employees to take accountability for their work, you need to take accountability for your own work. Nobody wants to listen to a leader that doesn’t practice what they preach. Don’t be afraid to point out issues in your own work and take responsibility for your mistakes. Another way to show accountability is through setting high expectations for yourself. As you try to honestly push yourself, your employees will be inspired to work harder as well. Show your company that you are accountable for your work, and they will become more accountable.
Create Measurable Goals
An easy way to make sure people are being accountable is through measurable goals . Create individual and team goals for your employees. Make sure that these goals can be measured in some way. This can mean putting the goals in a timeframe with checkpoints, so you and your employees know if they’re keeping up with the goal. Doing this can help you and your employees be more accountable for your progress.
Empower Employees
Employees will do more quality and thorough work if they are empowered to do so. Always make sure to give your employees the authority they need to get their job done. Beyond that, you want to motivate your employees with a sense of responsibility for their work. A way to do this is to reward and recognize employees for a job well done. This will help them to feel that their efforts are important and are contributing to your company’s success.
Apply this advice to your company to create a more accountable culture.