How to make accountability a core part of your workplace culture Workplaces with a strong sense of personal ownership and accountability thrive — but how do you get there?
1. Lead by example and hold yourself accountable first
2. Set team goals
3. Work on your feedback skills
4. Create a culture of two-way feedback
5. Make accountability a habit
6. Keep track of your commitments and hold each other accountable
7. Use an accountability framework
- Responsible: Those who are responsible for completing the task at hand.
- Accountable: Those who are ultimately accountable for the completion of the task or deliverable. This individual is also responsible for delegating the work to those who are responsible for completing it.
- Consulted: These individuals are typically the subject-matter experts on the task at hand. They are involved in the specific stage of the project in a consulting and advisory capacity.
- Informed: These are the individuals who are kept up-to-date on progress at each stage of the project. This is usually done in the form of one-way communication.
What does accountability mean in the workplace?
Accountability in the workplace means that all employees are responsible for their actions, behaviors, performance and decisions. It’s also linked to an increase in commitment to work and employee morale, which leads to higher performance.
It’s recognizing that other team members and general company performance depend on the results of your work. When employees are held accountable, they take responsibility for results and don’t assume it’s someone else’s job.
Essentially, it’s the opposite of passing the buck.
The directly responsible individual
The concept of the directly responsible individual (DRI), coined by Apple, is the perfect example of accountability at work. Everything at Apple, big or small, is assigned to someone who’s directly responsible for it.
DRIs are held accountable for the success and failure of the projects they’re assigned to. By explicitly assigning responsibility, there’s less room for passing blame, and more clarity over who’s making decisions.
Ultimately, when team members consistently demonstrate ownership and accountability, trust is formed. This results in less micromanaging and higher performance.