One of the most necessary traits of a successful professional is their accountability. Ensuring a successful career often starts with a honed sense of accountability. From the perspective of a business owner or manager, accountable employees make for a successful business. However, as owners and managers have come to understand, hiring accountable employees can be just as hard as instilling a sense of accountability in their existing employees. Why is this trait so important, though? Accountable employees often have a more genuine satisfaction with their positions, they contribute to improving their organizations’ bottom line and have additional chances of being advancing their careers within their organizations.
The challenge for managers then becomes instilling this value in their employees. Recent research would indicate that they’ve been struggling, though. Nearly four in five managers believe they have little to no effectiveness when trying to have their staff hold themselves accountable. This sets a terrible example for employees beneath their managers in a professional hierarchy, so much so that nearly nine in every ten employees believe their organizations need to better prioritize strategies to hold them accountable.
While it may seem simple, the truth is that spreading this value throughout an organization can be difficult. Of the most important ways to instill this value, one stands out above the rest. It all starts at the top of the organization’s hierarchy. Executive and managerial staff need to set the bar high enough in regards to taking blame and communicating their mistakes and their suggested solutions. Only though this communication can any issue or mistake be properly assessed and solved. This is the type of accountability that employees should strive to achieve, while also being the value that should differentiate aspiring employees interviewing for any organization.
Creating an organization with such a standard for accountability begins with the goals and expectations of a company. Employees should be informed of their role and contributions to their organization from the day their brought on. Having a more precise understanding of how their position contributes to the overarching goals and mission of the organization they represent is imperative for fostering such a sense of accountability. In order for this to be accomplished, though, executives and managers have to more openly communicate with their employees. Allowing for an open-door type policy with employees can truly allow for all the conversations necessary to creating the best work environment to be had.
Devising the ideal company culture requires a great deal of feedback and communication from every employee of an organization. As employees are so imperative in being able to achieve the goals companies set forth, it’s only right that their voices are valued as such. If you’re on the hunt for additional information regarding accountability in the workplace and how it relates to company culture, be sure to check out the resource accompanying this post. Courtesy of Minute7.
