In by book, Feet to the Fire: How to Exemplify and Create the Accountability that Creates Great Companies, I speak to the importance of creating an accountability culture. With greater accountability, leaders and peers hold each other to account. Everyone knows they will be expected to meet their commitments and take responsibility for resolving issues. As a result, one can lessen time-consuming, costly, and demanding oversight. As you become more nimble, innovation increases. You may see more rapid research and development, streamlined planning cycles, and faster recovery from mistakes.

The Building Blocks of Accountability

Results, sustainment, and consequences are required to create an accountable company (Figure 1.1). If you have results and sustainment, but lack consequences, you encounter a downward spiral. If you focus on results with consequences but do not sustain the practices, you will engender employee disengagement and customer dissatisfaction. If you have sustainment and consequences without a focus on results you will have busy work. Having any two of the building blocks without the third creates opportunity costs for the company.  (Feet to the Fire, p. 4)

Results – Focus on real results, not activities or “busy work” like frenetic actions, long to-do lists, or other activities that can take up employee time and energy but have no real impact on the company’s performance.

Sustainment – Follow through on commitments and operate in a consistent manner, to create integrity with customers and employees. Avoid situational leadership.

Consequences – Within an accountability culture, when results do not meet expectations, there are consequences. Accountable leaders do not allow substandard performance to be tolerated even if it is a long-service employee, well-liked individual, or someone who has deep technical knowledge.

Now that you know the importance of an accountability culture and the building blocks that are necessary for it to grow, I suggest you evaluate your workplace. Let me know if I can help you create greater accountability in your company.

I go into detail about this in Feet to the Fire and provide exercises to help with the process. Feet to the Fire is available in both print and Kindle editions through Amazon.

My clients accelerate their results – increasing profitability, leadership performance, innovation, and accountability. I would love to discuss how I might contribute to your success. Contact me today.

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