How leaders can inspire accountability

Whether it’s customer complaints, patient safety issues, lack of talent attraction or unwanted turnover, workplace problems can be overcome by increasing accountability, but not if the word if the word accountability equals threat. Here are five ways leaders can inspire accountability so that they support the team and dramatically improve results.

Reimagine accountability

The word accountability has become synonymous with blame: being “held accountable.” Instead of equating accountability with fault, think of accountability as measurement with a witness. The measurement is the tool of accountability that tells you whether you are ahead, behind, too big, too little, enough or not enough, meeting standards or not.

A tool is not enough to promote accountability. Real accountability requires a witness — a human being other than yourself who’s responsible to the results. Accountable leaders should not rely completely on a document or a checklist, but on confirming the results.

The bottom line: Accountability is not about blame. Accountability is about measurements that are confirmed by a light hands-on leadership approach. While many leaders worry about being called a micromanager, there’s a wide gap between micromanaging and having a light hands-on approach. Trust, but verify.

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Full article: https://corp.smartbrief.com/original/2022/04/how-leaders-can-inspire-accountability from Leadership News – SmartBrief