Accountability Is the Solution to the Problem

Four Reasons Why Increasing Accountability Improves Employee Engagement and Workplace Culture

There is always a right way and wrong way to do anything in the workplace.

WRONG WAY: Circling stats in red on a sheet of paper and adding a note to "fix this or else" is one way to hold people accountable. It is just not the right way.

WRONG WAY: Holding people responsible for meeting high-performance standards and not providing them the training, resources, and coaching needed to achieve them? Also, incorrect. It falls into the “certainly the worst way to do it” bucket.

RIGHT WAY: Make Manager Accountability and Development a Priority!

I have enjoyed every second of being a performance coach and business consultant. The connections and engagement I have while present with my clients and client's companies are meaningful and informative. I'm the outsider looking in, and it is easy to see many things the insiders can't see.

First, many of the issues I solutioned were not systems related (hardware or software). There were always several people components involved — low EQ, lacking self-awareness, inadequate training, or some of the hardest were toxicity within the team, causing team dysfunction that my client wasn't aware even existed.

Second, I gained an enormous amount of perspective, spending relatively small amounts of time (3-5 days at a time) on site. It was more than enough time to gain context of employee disengagement and workplace culture. I have seen both great and bad examples and learned a great deal from each end of the spectrum.

The data on employee disengagement is consistent and clear on the topic of accountability. A recent Custom Insight survey, for example, finds that accountability is a huge driver of employee engagement and disengagement. Why? Real performance accountability, when it includes feedback and coaching, enables people to meet or exceed the expectations you have for them and those they have set for themselves. People know that excellent performance is a differentiator in the competition for promotion or other opportunities to build their skills. Accountability might be the least leveraged "Win-Win" in the world of business.

Here are a few "points of perspective" that could be useful in maximizing "accountability" to increase employee engagement and business results.

#1 You've heard it said by many people in many ways — "people don't leave the company, they leave their manager." Few hires are more important than the level one manager as they have a vital role in developing the frontline team members who interact with your clients.

McKinsey published a study many years ago that found nearly 70% of C-suiters and 81% of frontline managers were not satisfied with their frontline manager performance. The current data on employee disengagement suggests little has changed.

The real opportunity for improvement is to think differently. The belief that manager "training" equals manager development is pure nonsense. Hours spent in a classroom that is not supported by observation and coaching when applying the skills do not develop anyone. Are you getting the return you want on the investment made in manager training? What does your data say? Don't have any? Get some. Information without a supervised application is a waste of time and your investment.

#2 Culture and accountability begins in the C-suite and cascades down to the lowest level of management to the latest weekend shift in the business. Every interaction any manager has with a team member is an opportunity to improve your performance accountability system.

Simple questions like, "Are you getting what you need to be the best you can be? Do you have access to coaching and development resources you need to excel?" or "Are your meetings and one-on-ones with your manager productive? What do you like about them?" are questions that appear on most engagement surveys. Use them.

It only takes a few words and a few seconds to show your talent you are engaged and focused on their growth and development. Are you engaged in your employee wellbeing and satisfaction? It is an easy way to get a maximum return with a minimum investment of your time and energy, and most of all, your overall company performance.

#3 Many companies incentivize poor behaviors through their manager accountability metrics. Many focus on cost, bottom line, and cutting benefits that would develop talent. As a result, training and coaching budgets get slashed, staffing levels get cut, and the real costs of employee disengagement begin to appear. Disengaged employees cost companies millions of dollars in lost productivity.

Incentives and bonuses are an opportunity to change manager behaviors to focus on employee development. Do you currently use metrics like employee churn or employee engagement in your manager metrics? Behaviors drive outcomes. Putting people first is a great strategy to increase profitability. Change your mindset, and you change your outcome.

#4 A second issue with accountability in the workplace is making sure all team members are held accountable for team performance, and the standards need to be applied equally to all. Often, the rules get applied differently to the top sellers and producers. Poor behaviors get tolerated or ignored while other team members must play by the rules.

Credibility is every leader's greatest currency. The higher you are on the organization chart, the disconnect between your words and the behaviors and actions of lower-level managers kills your currency too. This disconnect causes you to lose credibility without even knowing it. 

The costs associated with employee disengagement are incalculable and impact every aspect of your business. Do you need to embark on a costly, large scale, and consultant-led employee engagement initiative? Absolutely not! A few things can be more meaningful and impactful when done in house.

Question? What initiatives have you created for your companies to improve accountability and engagement in your business "organically?"