A common area of concern and focus for the leaders I work with is answering the question, “How can I drive greater accountability and foster a results-driven culture in my organisation?”
So here are some areas you can begin to look at and see which one you could pay more attention to right now which would take you in the right direction:-
1. Set Clear Expectations: Define what success looks like at every level of the organisation. Clearly outline goals and expectations, timelines, and accountability measures. If everyone knows what is expected of them, they are more likely to meet these expectations.
2. Create a Culture of Ownership: Encourage team members to take ownership of their tasks and projects. This helps them feel more connected to their work and drives better results. When people feel a sense of ownership, they are more likely to be accountable.
3. Frequent and Transparent Communication: Communicate regularly with your team about organisational/departmental goals, progress, and setbacks. Being transparent helps build trust, which is crucial for accountability.
4. Lead by Example: As a leader, demonstrate accountability. Be punctual, keep your promises, and own up to mistakes. Leading by example sets a standard for your team, which is harder than it looks.
5. Provide Regular Feedback: Give constructive feedback consistently, not just during formal reviews. Highlight positive performance and discuss areas for improvement. Positive reinforcement can increase the sense of ownership as employees feel their work is appreciated and valued.
6. Develop a Strong Performance Management System: Implement a system that tracks performance not just on KPI’s but also on desired behaviours. This will not only hold individuals accountable but also provide them with opportunities for growth.
7. Empower Your Team: Give your team the tools and resources they need to succeed. Empower your team members by entrusting them with more responsibility and autonomy in their work. When people are given the freedom to make decisions, they feel more invested and accountable. Empowered employees are more likely to feel accountable and deliver results.
8. Recognize and Reward: Recognize and reward employees who take accountability and deliver results. This encourages others to do the same.
9. Encourage Learning from Mistakes: Use mistakes as the valuable learning opportunities they are. This will help create a culture that values growth and improvement.
10. Promote Teamwork: Foster a culture that values teamwork. When employees feel part of a team, they’re more likely to feel accountable to their colleagues.
In the past, I’ve written extensively on virtually all of the above bullet points. However, there is one area that I know is a critical component of driving accountability and results. It also happens to be one of the hardest to master:
Creating a Culture of Ownership.
So let’s look at this in more detail.
Creating a culture of ownership has an absence of the blame game and essentially means fostering an environment where each individual feels a deep sense of personal responsibility for the outcomes of their work. People don’t just execute tasks because they are told to; they understand the larger goals, their role in achieving those goals, and feel personally invested in the results.
Think of it as those Russian stacking dolls – (matryoska). Each person knows clearly what is expected of them, both as end results and desired behaviours in reaching those end results. They also know how their end results deliver or impact departmental or company wide goals. And they buy into those outcomes too. When people understand the “why” behind their work, they’re more likely to feel a sense of ownership.
Decision Making
Once they have a clear sense of why and what you need to get out of their way. Delegate tasks and projects, providing team members with the necessary structure and autonomy to make decisions. This involves letting go of micromanagement. Ensure they know the boundaries about what decisions they can make and where they need to come to you for approval, to avoid potential confusion. Give them feedback afterwards not only on output but on their decision making, this will help them improve their decision making in future. And you may want to invest in decision-making training or workshops to give your team members the skills and confidence they need.
Increasing Trust
Assigning these important tasks shows your team you believe in their abilities. Giving them regular feedback and having an avenue for reflective discussion usually results in them sharing more of their ideas and opinions. Through coaching, you can help them increase their confidence, and as they improve their decision making and act on their ideas the outcome is a stronger sense of ownership. And ownership isn’t about knowing who you can assign blame to when things go wrong. Rather, it’s about each team member feeling a strong personal commitment to their work and their contribution to the organisation’s success.
In Summary
The key to creating a culture of ownership is consistent effort and patience. It requires clear and open communication, trust in your employees, and an environment that encourages innovation and creativity. They should feel comfortable making decisions, taking risks, and making mistakes from which they can learn.
Culture change isn’t a quick fix, so stick at it. With practice, you can significantly enhance accountability and drive results in your organisation.