Can An Organization Build Accountability Without Blaming?
It is true that we cannot make others accountable, yet, we create the culture where employees can exercise their abilities and competence safely. Then, somewhere along the line, they learn that good things happen when they are accountable. But it’s largely up to them, their boss, to be sure they don’t have a change of heart. Yes, accountability is intrinsic, you can’t force others to be accountable, but, employees learn from other people around them. When the work environment is designed for accountability, it will flourish. When it’s not, you’ll get stellar work from a few people – until they stop making the effort or leave for another job.*
The conclusion is, “Open Communication” where employees could express their opinions, ask for help, admit mistakes, share their accountability and learned lessons and suggest different ways for doing things, gives employees more autonomy and allows employees to take more ownership and accountability.
One of the powerful tools that leverages an accountable environment is “The Human Element approach. It aims at providing the leaders with simple and effective tools that they can bring to any leadership dilemma to improve everyone’s individual and team performance. It provides a way for managers in organizations to learn about themselves in their roles and see ways of understanding and helping their subordinates. The key principles of The Human Element—truth, choice, and awareness—when applied, change many of our common beliefs about the way people work. These new assumptions can have a profound effect on our work, our relationships, and our lives”.**
*https://www.forbes.com/sites/ccl/2012/02/28/7-ways-to-build-accountable-organizations/#338ff6ee3cd3
**Will Schutz, The Human Element, p.20
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