PROMOTING EMPLOYEE ACCOUNTABILITY

Publish date:

• 25th November, 2020

“It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one's acts.” ― Quote by Late Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation. 

One of the oldest issues of any workplace is the accountability of the employees with regards to their work and their workplace. It is of course expected that all employees take ownership of their work, whether working from the office, at home, solo, or in a team. This is a contentious issue with the employees pitted against the management/owners on this issue. The best way to promote employee accountability is to create an organizational culture that encourages and promotes accountability, across ranks, for their works and deeds. 

Let's look at some ways to promoting employee accountability in any organization: 

1. Define the role, expectations, responsibility of each and every employee so they are focused, goal-oriented, and work with a sense of purpose. So, whether it is short term or long term, defining terms of engagement leads to accountability to begin with. 

2. The leadership should help each team member to set personalised goals that are in tune with their role and rank. Set metrics helps each employee on their performance and their impact on the organization, and its success. 

3. Keep providing feedback to each employee, preferably in a structured format on a one – on – one basis on a regular basis, in the form of conversations/meetings, maybe in a less stressful environment for the employee, for example in a coffee shop or a park.  

4. Reward and recognize individual achievements and progress. Celebrate the successes in different ways that motivate employees and acts as role models for others to follow. 

5. The company should create a culture of employee learning, growth, and development. Nurture talent; encourage them to reskill or upskill. Opportunities to grow must be a part of the ethos of the company. 

6. Let it be known that accountability is mandated for all ranks within the organization, so there is no sense of discrimination or rancour. 

As per a survey abroad last year, around 47% of employees received feedback from their supervisors "a few times or less" in the past year or so, and about 26% of the employees feel that the feedback they receive helps them improve their performance. 

Hopefully, with the above suggestions, you are on the right way to creating and encouraging a culture of accountability for all persons in the company. Accountability is for all, from the head of the company to the lowest ranks.  Start the right culture, nurture, and make it mandatory and retain talent who are ready to align themselves with it. 

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About the Author

Rahul Ray

Rahul is a seasoned consultant in travel, transport and hospitality sector subject matter expert with over 20 years of experience and constantly challenging himself to re-define travel distribution and channels, Dedicated Son, Love Nature and Politics both