In this article, I will discuss ways in which you can foster accountability in your team members. You’ll find actionable steps and best practices to help cultivate the accountability that will lead you and your team to success.

Below are 10 actionable steps you can take to improve accountability:

• Lead by Example
• Establish Deadlines as per Tasks
• Establish Clear Expectations
• Foster a Culture of Accountability
• Provide Regular Feedback
• Promote Personal Ownership
• Establish Clear Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Provide Adequate Resources and Support
• Use the “Directly Responsible Individual” Method
• Address Non-Compliance

Let’s go through each step in more detail

Lead by Example

I intentionally mention this point first, because if you don’t do this, then it greatly diminishes the potential positive impact of all the other points mentioned later.

As the leader of your team, it is critical that you practise what you preach. This, unfortunately, is a failing I have seen in many people working in leadership roles. They expect their team members to put in the long hours, yet leave on or even before time themselves. Invariably, such people don’t last long in their roles.

Your team’s journey to improved accountability will start with you. If you lead by example, it gives a boost to your team members as well. When they see that you are not expecting them to do something that you are not willing to do yourself, it gets them all on the same page and makes them want to contribute effectively. Don’t let your team members think that you are passing on your “dirty work” to them.

One way to lead by example is, first of all, to stop thinking of yourself as the “leader” of the team. Think of yourself as one of the team members. Psychologically, it stops you thinking that you are different from the rest. Encourage your team members to address you by your first name only, and not as “sir” or “ma’am”.

Establish Deadlines as per Tasks

Establish task-specific deadlines for effective project management. This is crucial in ensuring accountability within a team. By assigning deadlines to individual tasks, each team member knows what they must do and when to deliver. This lets them prioritise their work and deliver more impactful results in a timely manner.

Establish Clear Expectations

Often, I have observed that team leaders fail in this regard. They don’t set crystal clear expectations that are laser-focused and let the team members clearly know what they are required to do. Such a lack of clarity hampers their ability to take the pressure of ownership and accountability for their actions. By setting clear expectations, managers and leaders provide a foundation for accountability to thrive.

Encourage Team Members to Take Accountability

Creating a culture of accountability is essential for long-term success. When accountability is ingrained in the team’s values and behaviours, it becomes a natural part of the team’s dynamics and contributes to a high-performance culture.

The next time you are in a team meeting, ask questions like “Who will take the responsibility of getting this done?”. This will let your team know you are looking for people who will take ownership, and you might be surprised at the impact such a question can have. It will force your team members to come out of their “comfort zone”, and that is the only way for individual and collective progress.

Provide Regular Feedback

The feedback loop is very important for employees to know what they or are not doing well. It allows them to get encouragement that they are doing things the right way or allows them to take corrective action if they are lagging. Either way, it lets them know you are there to help them. Offering regular feedback will require you to regularly monitor and observe their work, which will also give you valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your team, so you can suggest areas for improvement, ultimately enhancing the collective strength of the group. This will automatically improve accountability in your team because the members will be aware of what needs to be done and how to go about doing it.

Promote Personal Ownership

Promoting personal ownership is a powerful strategy for improving employee accountability within a team. When team members feel a sense of ownership over their work, they are more likely to take initiative, make responsible decisions, and be accountable for the outcomes.

Establish Clear Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Establishing clear metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is essential for measuring progress and enhancing accountability within a team. By defining specific metrics and KPIs, team members can effectively align their efforts with organisational goals and track their performance. The Key Performance indicators could be Sales Revenue, Customer Satisfaction Score, Return on Investment (ROI), Website traffic, Customer retention rate, Quality defect rate, Employee turnover rate, etc., depending on the type of activity your team is set up to perform.

Provide Adequate Resources and Support

Providing adequate resources and support is crucial for improving employee accountability within a team. When team members have the necessary tools, knowledge, and support to fulfil their responsibilities, they are better equipped to meet expectations and be accountable for their work. This ties in nicely with the point I made about providing regular feedback. With the regular interaction resulting from the feedback, you often understand where your team is struggling and what measures can be taken to address the shortcomings.

Use the “Directly Responsible Individual” Method

Apple’s legendary method for fostering accountability is still as effective today as it ever has been. It means that you make one person responsible for each task that is part of the process. From something as basic as getting the morning coffee for the team meeting to developing that key piece of code that fixes a flaw in the software.

To be clear, this does not mean that they are the only person who needs to do that task. Rather, it means that they are responsible for getting the task done, whether that is themselves, through help from others, or through delegation. The choice of how to get it done is theirs, and the responsibility to get it done somehow is also theirs.

Address Non-Compliance

Addressing non-compliance is a crucial step in improving employee accountability within a team. When accountability standards are not met, it is important to take appropriate actions to course correct and maintain a culture of accountability. It reinforces the expectations and standards set for the team members and demonstrates that there are consequences for failing to meet those expectations. This approach helps maintain accountability, ensures fairness, and fosters a high-performance culture within the team.

Enhancing employee accountability in a team is a multi-faceted endeavour that requires proactive measures, clear communication, and a supportive environment. By implementing the strategies outlined in this article, team leaders and senior management can encourage individual and collective accountability. Ultimately, a team that embraces accountability becomes more productive, efficient, and successful in achieving its goals.