By ensuring accountability in yourself and leading others to do the same, you are more likely to be trusted and respected by others. You are more likely to speak out when there is a problem. You are more likely to be committed to your work and perform at a higher level. You are more likely to succeed.
Holding self and others responsible and accountable to meet commitments
You show this competency when you:
- Follow through on commitments and make sure others do the same
- Act with a clear sense of ownership
- Take personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and failures
- Establish clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results
- Design feedback loops into work
How to develop this competency:
Procrastination is a common way of avoiding responsibility or putting off dealing with a situation, and therefore, it is important to identify and address these triggers. Others may start to see you as unreliable, because procrastination may require others to take responsibility on your behalf. Once you understand why you put things off, you can take steps to fix the problem.
Taking accountability for anything requires that you know what is expected. Have a set of clearly articulated goals that specifically states the outcome required and defines your target results. Goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART goals). Goals help focus time and effort, they provide an objective way to measure someone against what is required of them, and they can be used to develop people.
It can be hard to engage your head and your heart if you can’t see how your efforts fit into the big picture. Make it your business to learn all you can about the vision, the overall objectives, and the future direction of your organization. Find a way to articulate how your responsibilities fit into the big picture.
Additional resources
- Video: Responsibility vs. Accountability
- LinkedIn Learning: IU Staff Core Competency - Ensures Accountability
- Article: No Excuses: Be Accountable for your Own Success
- Article: HBR The Right Way to Hold People Accountable
- Book: The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability by Craig Hickman and Tom Smith
- Book: Crucial Accountability: Tools for Resolving Violated Expectations, Broken Commitments and Bad Behaviors by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Al Switzler