When you hear someone in a leadership role shout, “We need more accountability around here,” it’s usually because they’re on the war path to deal with things going wrong – or not getting done at all.

Accountability is vitally important, but it can backfire when it’s used as a club to beat people down instead of a ladder to lift them up. Fact is, few people screw up on purpose. If they’re messing up or not meeting expectations, it’s usually because something is getting in the way of doing things right.

When accountability is used to scold and punish people, it creates a culture of caution and fear where they focus more on staying out of trouble instead of going out on a limb and pushing boundaries to do something better or try something new. 

So when someone messes up or falls short, instead of playing the blame and shame game, treat them as the source of the solution, not the cause of the problem.

One of the surest ways to build a culture that uses accountability as a ladder for progress is through a routine mechanism for systematic continuous improvement.

Set up processes that get everyone on the team to step outside their “job box” on a regular basis, and encourage them to look for ways to improve how work is done. Then acknowledge them and give them some responsibility for getting those improvements implemented. When they fall short – and they will – find out what’s getting in the way, and give them a lift to get back on track.

If you want to learn more about how to use constructive accountability for continuous improvement, click on the link below.

6-Week Program for Systematic Continuous Improvement

“Great is the enemy of better”

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