Accountability and responsibility are two terms you may well have heard used interchangeably. In reality, however, they are two distinct concepts that can hold the key to effective teamwork, relationships and delegation – both in and outside the workplace. In fact, fully understanding the two could mean the difference between preventing mistakes from happening in the first place, and being left to learn from them afterwards. For leaders, it could mean improving the way in which you allocate energy, time and resources, because you’ll know what outcome is under each individual’s personal remit. In this thought leadership post, we’ll discuss the difference between the two terms, the importance of accountability for within teams and for leadership, and how to embed a culture of accountability within your organisation.
What is responsibility?
Responsibility is largely task-focused, and answers the question of who has what role within a particular project. If your company is undergoing a re-brand for example, leaders will allocate various roles within the process and ensure each team member understands exactly what they need to do to achieve the end result. Although in this sense, responsibility is given, it is also something that must be assumed and accepted by the other person – no one can make an individual responsible for a task if they refuse to accept it. Responsibility can also be shared. In the re-brand example above, for instance, all team members share the responsibility of bringing the task to fruition.
What is accountability?
The concept of accountability is centred more specifically around results and consequences, and often comes into play after a process or event is completed. It’s related to how individuals (usually leaders) respond to and take the blame for certain actions and report results. Taking accountability may mean receiving consequences from a person of greater authority, or accepting that the failure of a project or venture ultimately lies with them. For example, if the above re-brand isn’t completed on time or is poorly received, accountability for that will lie with the marketing manager, even if they have not been personally responsible for any of the work involved. Accountability is usually assigned to just one person, and is a term that has somewhat negative connotations, since it normally only comes into play when things go wrong. However, the flip side of accountability is credit – a leader may receive much of the praise for the results their teams achieve.
Why is accountability important in teams?
Despite its negative connotations, accountability has the potential to be a powerful force for good, and studies have demonstrated that increasing personal accountability within a team can have a significant positive effect on organisational performance. The concept of the Directly Responsible Individual, coined by Apple, is the perfect example of accountability at work – everything at Apple, whether big or small, is directly assigned to someone who’s accountable for it. When leaders assign explicit responsibilities, there’s more clarity over who’s making decisions, more impetus to drive projects forward effectively, and less room for passing blame. In an accountable working culture, mistakes and failures are acknowledged and embraced, leading to improved standards and boosted employee confidence.
Why is accountability important for leaders?
Leaders set the tone for the rest of the organisation. Without accountability from senior leadership and middle management, it’s easy for employees to feel lost and rudderless. Team members need to know that leaders can be trusted to do what they say they’re going to do, and reliably deliver on their commitments. Accountable leaders are able to make difficult decisions with confidence and conviction, knowing that the buck stops with them either way. Ultimately, accountability builds trust and respect, and when embedded into leadership behaviour, allows team members to feel confident their leader will make the right call at the right time. When leaders don’t demonstrate accountability for their actions, this can have a significant impact on employee engagement, which will inevitably impact performance and productivity.
How leaders can build a culture of accountability
An accountable culture can’t be created overnight, and is a process that must be built into not only working practices, but also everyday interactions. Here are some tips to help implement and practice accountability as a leader:
- Build trust. Implementing a culture of accountability only to use it as an excuse to place blame when things go wrong will always backfire – listen to employee’s concerns, work with them to build their strengths, and ensure they’re comfortable and confident with the responsibilities placed upon them.
- Explain expectations clearly. If an employee doesn’t fully understand what’s expected of them, accountability will be impossible. As a leader, you should not only provide direction but also seek feedback from team members on your message to guarantee their understanding.
- Be a role model. When you’re accountable for the actions and results of your team, you’ll set a template for the behaviour you’d like to see modelled by them.
- Communicate consistently. Your team should be reminded often of your company’s values and mission, along with teamwork protocols and ethics. You should be checking in often with each member of your team, and offering support and guidance whenever it’s required.
- Provide strong feedback. Within any organisation, things can – and will – go wrong. When a project doesn’t go to plan, instead of placing blame, work with your team to figure out exactly what went wrong and how it can be prevented in the future. Similarly, when a team member meets or exceeds your expectations, be sure to give praise where it’s due.
- Be objective. When assessing the performance of your team, clear metrics should be provided based on facts, figures and KPIs. Feedback should never be clouded by personal opinions, relationships or power struggles.
- Don’t force it. When you provide continuous support to your team based on trust and honesty, they will naturally hold themselves accountable and feel motivated to deliver. Though you should make it clear that mistakes have consequences, accountability should never be leveraged as a means of punishment.
Ultimately, far from being scary, both responsibility and accountability are factors that can be used to boost engagement, productivity and wellbeing in the workplace. When employees understand their responsibilities clearly and feel supported and encouraged in their working lives, accountability will naturally follow, and team members will want to deliver their best work. Building an accountable culture give employees a platform on which to celebrate their successes, as well as learn from their mistakes. As a leader, your job is to ensure accountability is implemented and delivered in the right way, as well as fully embedded in your own actions and behaviours.
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