In your role as a leader, have you ever experienced tasks not being completed on time by your team, finger-pointing when something doesn’t go right or blank stares when you ask about the progression of a project?

It’s easy to put these down to an individual’s work ethic or personality, however it’s often a lack of accountability culture at the heart of the problem.

What is accountability?

Accountability in the workplace is quite simply ownership of tasks and the motivation to complete them to an expected standard. When accountability is lacking, teams can be held back from performing at their best by confusion, frustration and subsequent lack of motivation - not to mention the frustration caused for you as a leader when things aren’t getting done!

So what can be done to foster accountability? Here are some things you can try in your workplace:

1. Demonstrate personal accountability:

Cultivating an accountability culture starts with you. That means you need to show your team that you walk the talk. You can do this informally by sharing some of your commitments – work or personal - with your team and encouraging them to hold you accountable as you see them through.

2. Set clear expectations:

When working with your team on projects, clearly establish what needs to be achieved, who is responsible for what and critical timelines that need to be met. Using a framework like RACI will help your team members understand what is expected of them by allocating who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed for each project. Furthermore, when team members are clear on their roles and those of other team members too, they collaborate more effectively and communicate better to reach a result.

3. Monitor progress:

Once you have planned a project, schedule check-ins at key milestones to monitor your team’s progress. Make sure your team knows when these check-ins will happen and what is expected from them. These will also be helpful to identify and troubleshoot issues that might hold back final project delivery before it’s too late!

4. Communicate actions:

When you hold a team meeting or 1:1, make sure any actions are communicated clearly and specifically. Don’t be afraid to ask your team to clarify if they have understood what’s required or who is responsible before tying up the meeting. Circulating minutes is a good way boost accountability too.

5. Create psychological safety:

When team members feel safe to share ideas, ask for feedback or come to you for help, it helps foster an environment of trust and accountability. We’ve shared how to create a psychologically safe environment here.

Ready to give these tips a go? Save them down, put the wheels in motion, and most importantly, hold yourself accountable!