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It’s easy to say to people on your team that they must be accountable for their actions, but it’s not so easy to tell them how to do it. It’s even harder to give them the mindset of wanting to be accountable. In fact, many business leaders forget that they are the role model for accountability, and don’t audit their own actions to make sure that they always practice what they preach.
In the classic book, “The Difference: When Good Enough Isn't Enough,” Subir Chowdhury shines a bright light on both these issues. Chowdhury is one of the world’s leading management consultants, and he argues that accountability is only one part of a real caring culture that must be built and maintained to achieve a sustainable competitive difference.
The other key parts of a caring culture include nurturing employees and leaders who are straightforward, thoughtful, and resolute in their approach to the business. All my years of experience in business resonate with that assessment, and allow entrepreneurs to explain to team members what accountability means, and what steps are required to get there:
- Willing to proclaim that something needs to be done. We all know of examples where employees and managers see the same problem occur over and over again, but never raise a flag indicating that something can and should be done. A mindset of caring about the business and other workers is required to motivate this first step in accountability.
- Accept personal responsibility for tackling an issue. People without a caring mindset are quick to point the finger at someone else, or defer totally by saying “It’s not my job.” Leaders must send the message, and show by example, that delivering quality solutions to customers is everyone’s business. People working on problems must be rewarded.
- Make positive choices or decisions to act. Making positive choices is difficult with leaders or organizations that tolerate inertia or too much negativity. The right to make choices is one of the most important freedoms we have, so you won’t get accountability from employees that don’t feel they have the mission and training to make decisions.
- Think deeply about the consequences of each choice. It is easy to make a poor choice if you are not thinking about the consequences of that choice. Are you working to get a problem off your back or only serving your ego? Is what you are about to do the best long-term solution for the customer, or merely an expedient? Think before you act.
- Set high expectations for yourself and your team. When you set your own sights high, you cannot help but inspire others. When you inspire others, you make it easy to become more accountable yourself. Inspired team members will then set their own target higher, and that momentum will lead to better customer experiences and business success.
To make a real difference in your business, you need to be the role model for accountability, as well as nurturing these additional facets of a caring mindset across your whole business:
- Culture of direct and open communication and respect. Your team’s ability to be straightforward and honest suffers when they are afraid, egos dominate, or people don’t trust that they will be treated fairly. Too often, leaders hide business realities and personal mistakes, but expect everyone else to understand and do the right thing.
- Culture of individual empathy and thoughtful listening. Real listening involves not just hearing what others say, but trying to put yourself in their shoes, to fully understand the message. For managers, this requires getting out from behind your desk, going to the factory floor, meeting with customers, and being accessible at any time to your team.
- Culture of passion, determination, and perseverance. This is a mindset that every problem can be resolved, and every situation can be improved. It requires humility and a willingness to change and adapt, even an acceptance that continuous improvement is the norm. People in this culture don’t ever settle for less than their personal best.
Thus you can see that accountability isn’t easy. It can’t be accomplished by edict, but it can be taught by example, by leaders who practice the principles they want their team to follow, and leaders who build a mindset of caring throughout the organization. How long has it been since you have taken a look in the mirror at yourself and your organization in this respect?
Related: 3 Leadership Values to Encourage in Every Member of Your Team