Title: Why Is Accountability Important in the Workplace?
Headings: Why Is Accountability Important in the Workplace?
Why Is Accountability Important in the Workplace?
Article highlights
Definition of Accountability
Barriers to Accountability in the Workplace
Benefits of Accountability
Builds trust
Improved performance
Strengthens culture
Better compliance
Getting Started
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Content: As author Pete Lowe points out in HRD Connect, “Real accountability happens in the context of a culture that supports trust and genuine teamwork …. Genuine accountability comes with a fresh honesty that acknowledges where things can improve and a humility that tempers actions.” Accountability, then, is necessary, difficult to achieve, yet attainable. But it might help to start with the definition of accountability first to understand why accountability in the workplace is important. Definition of Accountability
Many people think of accountability in terms of what it isn’t – trying to “catch” employees doing something wrong, ratting out coworkers, or laying down a strict set of rules administered with a punitive approach. Rather than creating a proactive atmosphere of responsibility, this negative approach drives a reactive culture of “management by rules.” But there’s a better way. Accountability in the workplace is all about setting and holding people to a common expectation by clearly defining the company’s mission, values, and goals. Employee accountability means holding all levels of employees (from the part-time hourly worker to the C-suite executive) responsible for accomplishing business goals. While accountability at work is critically important, it also needs to be balanced with the need to give employees autonomy in their roles.