Cultivating A Culture of Accountability

Habits, values and leading by example

Jan 25, 2024

In my practice a theme for a number of clients right now is accountability, whether an explicit or underlying concern.

Leadership requires you to hold people accountable, and to be accountable yourself, for the achievements and success of the business.

Setting clear goals and expectations is the starting point, and often where the action stops. However, telling people they are accountable is only the beginning.

Generating a sense of ownership where people feel and are accountable is different.

Accountability is not just an instruction; it is a behaviour, a habit, and a value. And it boils down to a simple question: Do you do what you say you will do?

Accountability is, therefore, twofold: making the commitment and delivering on that commitment.

And this applies to both small promises and significant commitments.

In business it means that if you want to create a culture of accountability, your people need to develop the deep rooted habit of holding themselves accountable.

The first people who need to learn this are you and your senior team. Because your team and the people you lead are a direct product of your behaviour.

Bob demonstrates the case in point. A CMO, Bob is well-loved, charismatic, and passionate about his profession. He has achieved a lot and is keen to do so much more. Yet, Bob often overpromises. Coupled with his struggle managing his time and commitments, he frequently doesn’t show up for meetings he committed to and fails to respond to follow-up requests from people he made promises to. It's no surprise to see this behaviour mirrored in Bob’s team, with Bob questioning why his team isn’t staying focused on what they need to.

In any company, your culture is built on the actions you do regularly. The small habits you practice every day are the foundation of the business you have.

So, like many things you want in your business, the mirror is a good starting place. Your behaviour is heavily scrutinised and replicated, whether you like it or not.

If you want to build more accountability across your team, you must role model a habit of rigorous accountability.

“Things do not change. We Change.”

Henry David Thoreau

Building habits is not easy. It requires support to build and put into practice.

Habits form at the most basic level. For example: Does this person hold themselves accountable and do what they say they will do with the most transactional of tasks? When they commit to meeting you on Friday at 2 pm, do they turn up? Do they call you back when they promise to by the end of the week? Do they follow up on what they committed to?

Demonstrating accountability for smaller commitments is a critical indicator of the behaviour and value of accountability.

So when seeking a change in culture, start small. Then go big.

Below are four tools to accentuate your accountability.

Identify: Accountability is a behaviour that is equally important at all levels of your business. Front line customer facing teams for example (sales, customer services) demand high levels of accountability, not just internally but with customers too to ensure promises are kept and your reputation intact.

How important is accountability within your business right now?
How big a priority do you think people throughout the company would say it is?
What systems and processes could be replaced simply with a higher level of accountability?

Reflect: Think honestly about your own approach to small promises and commitments you make, and answer the question below by choosing one of the four options.

Q: What percentage of the time do you do what you say you will do?

All the time; it is a core personal value of mine
Most of the time, but I know I miss things
Not hardly as much as I would like
I’m ashamed at how much I need to work on this

Then reflect.

What came up for you when you were thinking about the responses above?
If you’re not sure, ask those around you for their opinion.
Or ask yourself, what would they honestly say?

Identify: The most successful leaders stand out because they have spent time crafting a deep rooted value of accountability.

But building new habits and beliefs is far from easy. And your existing habits will be your default until you change them. Think about new habits you have learned and instilled in yourself over the years.

What tools and systems have helped you succeed where others have failed?

Read: Holding ourselves accountable to working towards things that are important can be challenging even for the most focussed of us. Having the right support place to help is crucial. For leaders there can be relatively few people around you to confide in, so as well as working with a coach, finding yourself an accountability partner can make a significant difference.

Elisabeth O. Hayes , a fellow Executive Coach, and I met during a brief breakout session at a business development progamme run by Alisa Cohn and Dorie Clark. And this chance virtual meeting 2 years ago has developed into a strong accountability partnership, between two fellow business owners.

You can read our article in Smartbrief on Leadership where we share practical insights on what we’ve learned and the impact of a well-matched accountability duo. If you want to build your accountability muscles this year, read it here.