Holding employees accountable is a crucial aspect of leadership that ensures work is done efficiently and effectively. However, many leaders find it difficult to hold employees accountable for fear of damaging their working relationship or morale. This challenge becomes more pronounced when employees fail to deliver on agreed-upon expectations and responsibilities.
Below, 16 Forbes Coaches Council members share ways for leaders to ensure employees are held accountable for doing their work. Read on to learn how to set clear expectations and ensure better performance going forward while still maintaining a positive work environment.
Holding team members accountable for their work is an essential responsibility for managers, But it’s also one that many leaders struggle with
In a recent survey, 33% of CEOs said that holding people accountable was their biggest weakness. Many expressed hesitation about seeming too harsh or ruining relationships.
However, accountability is key for having an engaged, high-performing team. Employees want to feel trusted to deliver quality work on time. Lack of accountability enables underperformance and erodes team morale.
As a manager, how can you foster a culture of responsibility? Here are 11 effective tips for holding employees accountable:
1. Lead by Example
You set the tone for accountability on your team. If you miss deadlines or fail to complete tasks employees will follow suit.
Model the behavior you expect from others. Come prepared for meetings, deliver work on time, and own up to any mistakes. This demonstrates the attitude and professionalism you want your team to exhibit.
2. Set Clear Expectations
Many accountability issues arise when expectations are vague. Be very specific about what you need delivered, by when, and how you’ll measure success.
Document expectations so everyone is on the same page. Having unambiguous goals makes it easier to identify and address any shortfalls.
3. Ask, Don’t Solve
When an employee brings you a problem, don’t immediately jump in with solutions. First, ask how they plan to handle the issue.
Guide them to take ownership, while providing any needed support and resources. This empowers your team to solve challenges independently.
4. Give Employees the Tools to Succeed
Make sure your employees have the training, systems, budget, and backup they need to excel in their role.
Lack of resources leads to frustration, not increased accountability. Advocate for your team to have everything required to hit their targets.
5. Address Performance Issues Swiftly
Don’t let poor performance slide, hoping the employee improves on their own. Address it directly through one-on-one feedback focused on solutions.
Probe to understand why they are struggling. Collaborate on an improvement plan with clear timelines, check-ins, and training as needed.
6. Connect Goals to Company Objectives
Employees need to grasp how their work ladders up to broader company goals. Explain how each person’s contributions influence the success of the overall team and organization.
This fosters engagement and a sense of purpose. Also celebrate wins when goals are exceeded.
7. Provide Performance Data
Share clear metrics that allow employees to benchmark their own progress. Performance data reinforces that accountability is about results, not personalities.
Publicly praise top performers at team meetings. Review reports in one-on-ones to identify potential roadblocks early.
8. Deliver Ongoing Feedback
Don’t wait for formal reviews to give feedback. Identify issues immediately in regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with employees.
Make praise and constructive criticism part of your daily management rhythm. This enables faster course correction when needed.
9. Allow for Mistakes
Say an employee misses a deadline. Rather than scolding them, probe to understand what went wrong and how they can improve processes going forward.
View mistakes as learning opportunities, not just failures. This encourages workers to be forthcoming about errors so improvements can be made.
10. Uphold Quality Standards
While deadlines are important, ensure employees also deliver work that meets expected quality standards.
Don’t lower standards just to say an item is complete. Hold people accountable for excellence as well as timeliness.
11. Part Ways with Chronic Low Performers
If an employee still fails to improve after multiple interventions, it may be time to terminate them. One bad apple can drag down the whole team’s productivity and morale.
Letting go of low performers shows that repeated failure to meet expectations will not be tolerated long term. This upholds workplace standards.
The Benefits of Building an Accountable Team
Instilling a culture based on accountability is well worth the investment for managers. The payoffs include:
-
Improved productivity: Accountable employees waste less time and meet deadlines consistently.
-
Better work quality: Responsibility produces employees who take pride in their contributions.
-
Higher engagement: Employees feel trusted when given freedom and responsibility.
-
Increased initiative: Accountable team members are empowered to make decisions and solve problems proactively.
-
Reduced micromanagement: You can delegate more when your team is accountable.
-
Career development: Responsibility helps employees gain skills and experience for advancement.
-
Team ownership: Accountability gives employees a sense of purpose and pride in outcomes.
Holding team members responsible for work delivers tangible benefits for organizations. Employees thrive when given clear expectations paired with the trust and freedom to deliver results.
So don’t shy away from having those tough accountability discussions. Your entire team will reap the rewards of a workplace centered on engagement, performance, and ownership.
Have Them Create Their Own Accountability Plan
Lack of follow-through is a trust-killer, and it can happen to even the most committed team members. Get clear on the root cause of the missed deadline and consider what support or resources might help. If it’s an ongoing concern in spite of clearly communicated expectations, ask the employee to create their own accountability plan, including at what point they will ask for help if needed. – Asia Bribiesca-Hedin, Bridgewell LLC Professional Services
Get Curious About Why They Didn’t Do It
Get curious as to why they didn’t do it, then show trust and empathy in support of them moving forward. Your role is to ensure the work gets done; understanding why it wasn’t done is the only way to address the root cause. Empathy and listening will help you create trust and accountability measures to move forward. Don’t forget to ask the employee to repeat back to you what you agreed to. – Joshua Miller, Joshua Miller Executive Coaching
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
How Leaders Hold Employees Accountable
How do you keep your team members accountable?
1. Set clear goals Setting clear goals and expectations is an essential part of holding your team members accountable. It’s even better to put each team member ‘s responsibilities in writing so that you can refer to them at a later time. Be open to questions from your team members to ensure they understand your directions.
How to keep employees accountable?
Aligning expectations can help in holding employees accountable. Ensure everyone within the company understands what is expected of them and how to achieve their goals at every stage. The introduction of incentives, monetary or non-monetary, can help ensure positive momentum going forward. – Adaora Ayoade, EZ37 Solutions 8.
What does it mean to hold someone accountable?
To hold someone accountable is to entrust them with a responsibility. Trust is a marvelous thing—it’s also the ultimate motivator. In fact, great results and accountability are connected. High-performing teams (and companies) often have a workplace culture of accountability baked into their organizational foundation.
What does it mean to be accountable in the workplace?
Accountability in the workplace means that employees take responsibility for both their performance and business outcomes. Instead of playing the “blame game” when something goes wrong, they step up and take full ownership. They don’t waste time trying to look good to others — accountable employees work to find solutions.
