It is estimated that lack of accountability costs the nation’s employers in the billions of dollars each year. As leaders and managers, it is our duty and reponsibility to guide employees to be more accountable. Try asking the following two questions the next time there’s an incident.
Say you observe an employee demonstrating an inappropriate behavior — for instance, being abrupt with a customer. Ask that employee the following accountibility question:
So that I have a good handle on what just happened, can you tell me how your recent action supports our core beliefs in this organization?”
OK, assuming that the employee can acknowledge that his or her behavior was not professional, follow up with this question:
Explain to me what you’ll do differently to ensure this doesn’t happen again — how are you going to be more accountable?”
There you have it. By asking these two questions, you’ll be able to determine if your employee is in alignment with your expectations — to create an environment of workplace accountability. Listen for your employee’s commitment and receptivity to change. If these factors are not present, it’s time to take the appropriate action now so you can avoid problems repeating themselves in the future.
