Organizational Accountability: A Key to Productivity

By Lou Tice

One of the key characteristics of high-performance organizations is accountability. It's an attitude that starts from the top, but doesn't stop there. If an organization is to be accountable, all of its people must feel a strong sense of personal accountability. What does this mean? It means that you are willing to step up and take responsibility, that you honor your commitments, and that you accept the consequences of the choices you make, without trying to blame others. It means that you walk your talk, aren't afraid to take risks, and can accept the possibility of failure now and then without losing your sense of integrity or self-efficacy.

Managers must be accountable

If those who are leading an organization expect employees to demonstrate accountability, they must set an example that is worth emulating. Sometimes, this may mean letting go of certain activities they have grown comfortable with, delegating these tasks to others, deliberately stretching comfort zones and accepting the challenge of change and new behavior. Sometimes, it may mean telling truths that may not be popular. Always, it means ethical behavior.

Managers must be absolutely accountable in order to be trusted, in order to have credibility. They must not make promises they can't keep. In fact, they need to be extremely careful about all of their words and deeds. To those they supervise, they are "who-saids," and when "the boss says" something is going to happen or isn't going to happen, those words must be as good as gold. Dynamic leaders are people who lead by the power of their character, not by the power of their position.

Staff members must be accountable

In order to have a high-performance organization, it is essential to have a work force that is truly empowered. This eliminates the need for constant supervision, enables an operation to move quickly, and allows problems to be solved on the spot. But empowerment is a two-sided coin, the other side of which is accountability. Wherever there is power to act, there must also be responsibility. An empowered work force can function effectively only if everyone in it is accountable.

Empowered employees work from a clear sense of choice, rather than a "have-to" mentality that creates passive-aggressive pushback in the form of withholding, slowing down, resentment and even sabotage. They feel personally responsible for the results they achieve on the job. It's not necessary for a supervisor to tell them when they aren't measuring up. They know it, and they take immediate steps to self-correct. What's more, even when they're performing very well, they try to do even better.

Teams must be accountable

A team is both a collection of unique individuals and an organization in miniature. When a group of people who feel personally accountable come together to work on a project and achieve a common goal, the results are amazing. A synergy is created that boosts the collective efficacy and creativity of the entire group. Together, they are able to accomplish things that would have been impossible otherwise.

In today's highly competitive global market, there is no place for the solitary genius. High-performance, flexible teams will come together to work on a project or solve a problem. Then they will disband and reconfigure in new ways for other problems and projects. It is essential that these teams feel accountable for both outcomes and for developing streamlined, efficient, synergistic processes that achieve results.

Communities must be accountable.

Finally, if we are to live in a way that ensures a high quality of life for our families, children and grandchildren, we must carry this sense of accountability into our communities. We must step up and take personal accountability for solving the problems that exist in our cities. If we say, "Why don't they do something about..." while blaming inefficient government or apathetic officials, we become part of the problem. Where citizens in a community collectively take accountability for that community, they become part of the solution and models for others to follow.

Lou Tice is an internationally known educator, lecturer and author. He founded The Pacific Institute in 1971. For more than 25 years, he has been in the business of teaching people and organizations that they have an unlimited capacity for growth, change and creativity, and can adapt readily to the tremendous change taking place in this technological age.

He has conducted seminars throughout the world for millions of individuals, including Nobel Prize winners and leaders of nations. He is the author of Smart Talk for Achieving Your Potential as well as the soon to be released, Personal Coaching for Results; How to Mentor and Inspire Others to Amazing Growth.

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