Managers often ask how to hold their employees accountable. There isn’t one answer to this question, because one of the biggest variables is your organizational culture. Some cultures support their people when it comes to accountability issues, while others cast blame.

For example, in a blame-oriented culture, if Juan misses an important deadline – even if he had a good reason – his manager will likely fault him for the outcome with no discussion.

Cultures that focus on learning and growth tend to tie accountability with learning and development. Taking the same scenario, if Juan had a good reason but didn’t communicate it ahead of time, his manager will coach him on communication tactics, not just the consequences of not meeting the deadline.

In these types of organizations managers will use the missed deadline as a teaching moment. By unpacking the sequence of events, the employee receives a better grasp of the consequences and adapts his behavior in the next deadline.

Importantly, it is up to the manager to keep an eye on Juan the next time around, to make sure that he is successful in meeting the deadline. Through observation, the manager will be able to see where disconnects occur.

Blame-oriented cultures are different. Employees practically expect to be blamed when something goes wrong, even if they aren’t responsible for what went wrong. They get reprimanded with their managers grumble about accountability in the background.

But I would bet that in most cases, the managers are not doing their job managing. They need to be keenly aware of what’s going on and make sure they are communicating appropriately.

The skill of being accountable for others is essential to be a good manager. It is not an afterthought for your job. Some managers get frustrated because they feel that managing “gets in the way” of doing their job. On the contrary, it is a primary element to the job and needs to be implemented consistently.

The next time you get frustrated with someone who works with you, stop and consider your role in the situation. Make sure you do your job first.

“Accountability breeds response-ability.”
– Stephen Covey

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