I believe that accountability in the workplace has been given a bad rap over the years. We associate the word, “Accountability” with something negative. Hearing the phrase, “I’m going to hold you accountable” feels like a a finger pointed at us.
However, what accountability really means is our performance will be “noticed” by our manager. A manager who pays attention and tells employees, “I’ve noticed,” understands – accountability motivates employees to perform.
Good performers actually WANT accountability. They WANT their performance to be noticed. It’s very un-motivating to work very hard on something, only to have it go unnoticed. I once saw a sign at a dentist office that said, “If you ignore your teeth, they’ll go away.” The same is true for ignoring a good performer. If you ignore a good them, they’ll go away and work for someone who will give them accountability and recognition for their good performance.
Bad performers prefer that their actions are overlooked. They’re the ones who truly need accountability to keep their feet to the fire. Accountability does a beautiful job of naturally weeding out people who don’t want to work, and rewarding those who do.
Need help establishing a processes for accountability in the workplace?
