A Culture of Accountability

People who work in a Culture of Accountability feel a strong sense of what we call “Organizational Health and Integrity.” It is the collective version of individual health and integrity where “I will do what I say I will do” becomes “We will do what we say we will do.” When people do everything in their power to do what they say they will do, rather than talk and complain, work becomes predictable and commitments become reality.

Think about it. How often do you hear these sorts of questions and comments in the corridors of your organization: “Why can’t people do what they say they’ll do?” “How do they expect us to keep up with their changing priorities?” “We talk and talk about the same old issues, but nothing ever changes—nobody walks the talk around here.” In reality, such questions and comments are pretty typical in today’s organizations, and this is exactly why people in organizations develop a heightened awareness of inconsistencies, contradictions, and hypocrisy. Organizations that do not address this and related issues can expect to pay a huge price for their inattention: unmet expectations and undelivered results throughout the organization.

Only when leaders and organizations are serious about creating a Culture of Accountability can they permanently move from “talking about inconsistencies, contradictions, and hypocrisy,” to “doing something about them.” How do you make that happen? You do it by Follow Through, Get Real, and Speak Up. Follow Through means to “do what you say you will do,” Get Real means to “get to the truth,” and Speak Up means to “say what needs to be said.” No team or organization can expect to develop true accountability or a Culture of Accountability without these values and their associated actions.

To learn more about how to create a Culture of Accountability in your workplace—where people Follow Through, Get Real, and Speak Up—we invite you to join the Accountability Community at www.partnersinleadership.com, where you can review the stories of organizations that have actually done it.

A Culture of Accountability and Accountability Community are registered trademarks of Partners In Leadership. All other trademarks and registered trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.