Developing Leadership Through Accountability

How do you teach and promote the growth of accountability among your team members? When people are accountable, they are responsible for their actions, behaviors, and duties. Here are some ways to teach and hold your team members accountable:

ACTION PLAN

1) Set & Communicate clear expectations & means of assessment

• Coaching Strategy: Explain ‘the why’.  Why is accountability important?  How will being more accountable help your team member? What task(s) will they be responsible to complete? Have team member(s) repeat back the expectations.  

2) Establish timelines

• Coaching strategy: Establish a time for completion. Also, create a check-in time (Do not want to wait too long!)

3) Provide Feedback

• Coaching Strategy: As a team leader, your role in recognizing accomplishments and making recommendations is crucial. Always approach it from the standpoint of wanting to help your team members, and you'll see the positive impact of your influence.

4) Consequences

• Having consequences helps develop boundaries and behavior patterns. Consequences, in the context of accountability, refer to the outcomes of actions, whether positive or negative. They serve as a guide for future behavior and help reinforce the importance of accountability.

• Coaching strategy: Enforce consequences—both good and bad ones. Talk to the team members, find out how they feel, and encourage dialogue to continue or change behavior. This open communication is key to maintaining a healthy team dynamic.