Episode 18:A is For Accountability

Welcome to another empowering episode of the Culture Secret podcast! In this thought-provoking edition, we dive deep into the heart of workplace culture, shining a spotlight on a fundamental aspect that holds the key to success: accountability.

Join me as we uncover the transformative power of accountability in cultivating a thriving workplace environment. From small startups to large corporations, fostering a culture of responsibility and ownership is the driving force behind innovation, productivity, and employee satisfaction.

Discover how accountability not only bolsters individual performance but also enhances team dynamics, promoting collaboration and synergy. Unravel the connection between clear communication, goal alignment, and accountability, and unlock the untapped potential of your workforce.

Whether you're a seasoned leader or an aspiring entrepreneur, this episode equips you with actionable takeaways to implement accountability strategies from the ground up. Unleash the true potential of your workplace, fueling an upward spiral of excellence, and future-proofing your organization.

Join me on this enlightening journey towards building a workplace culture that inspires, motivates, and embraces accountability as the beating heart of success. Tune in now to gain invaluable insights and make your mark in the world of thriving workplaces.

**Key Topics:**
- Understanding the essence of accountability in workplace culture
- Nurturing responsibility and ownership among employees
- Communication, goal setting, and accountability: A symbiotic relationship
- Fostering collaboration and synergy through shared accountability

Don't miss this illuminating episode filled with wisdom and actionable advice that will transform your workplace culture for the better. Subscribe to the Culture Secret podcast now and be part of the journey towards building a thriving and accountable work environment. Together, let's unlock the true potential of your organization!

Thanks for listening. Grab the book the podcast is based on at https://mybook.to/culturesecrets . Check out my website www.chelliephillips.com for more great content. Follow me on LinkedIn.

Episode Transcript

Chellie Phillips (00:06):
If workplace culture is your jam, you're in
the right place. Check out thisepisode of culture secrets, the
podcast dedicated to creatingworkplaces where both employees
and the companies thrive.
Welcome to the culture secretpodcast. I'm your host Chellie
Phillips. Today I want to focuson the A in my value culture
formula. If you're not familiarwith that value culture is a

(00:30):
people centered workplaceculture that is built around
five pillars that's vision andvalues, accountability,
leadership, the uniqueness ofyour people and engagement. When
you focus on these five areas,you will not only create an
environment your employeesthrive in, but you'll also see
profitability and productivityincrease for the organization as

(00:50):
well. As I said, today, I'mfocusing on the A or
accountability, it can be one ofthe hardest skills for a new
manager or leader to master.
Why, because accountabilitycan't just be mandated from the
top down. Each employee mustdevelop their own self
accountability throughout yourculture building process for you

(01:10):
to build strong, thriving teamsas their leader, you must ensure
that each individual team memberknows and takes responsibility
for their actions. That's easierto do if you've worked together
to set the vision and values forthe organization because those
values determine the behaviorsthat are expected. But that's a
conversation for anotherepisode, many first time

(01:30):
managers struggle with settingclear expectations for their
teams. So today, I'm talkingabout how you can do this
effectively inside the teamsetting. First, let's define
accountability. Simply put, isthe willingness to accept
responsibility for one'sactions. That's why it's vital
that your team membersunderstand their goal
responsibilities andexpectations you've set for

(01:53):
them. Your job is to show eachteam member what it looks like
and help them understand youwill be supplying feedback on
how well they're accomplishingthose things before we move
forward. are you demonstratingyour own accountability in the
workplace? Are you completingtasks that are assigned to you
on time? Do you support yourteam when needed and help
champion them to success? Whenyou schedule meetings? Do you

(02:15):
respect people's time by showingup prepared? Do you take
ownership of problems and helpfind solutions? Or do you sweep
them under the rug and assumethe issue is being dealt with by
someone else? If you had troubleanswering these you need to do
some individual work onaccountability before moving
forward with team activities.
However, if you feel youraccountability meter is maxed
out on the positive side, thenlet's look at the team aspect of

(02:37):
accountability. So how do youknow if accountability is an
issue on your team? One easy wayto check is ask yourself Do we
miss deadlines? Are we punctualis unfinished work tolerated?
Are others expected to pick upteammates slack? Do we have
unmet goals most team membersrespond well when they have a
clear idea of the expectationstheir manager holds of them. It

(02:59):
also helps them feel valued andconnected to the outcomes when
you can tie their task in with agreater mission for the
organization. This clarity is anessential building block for
accountability. Thisunderstanding also helps you
navigate any surprises thatmight pop up. Team members will
have confidence in you as amanager and in their abilities
to tackle any unexpectedobstacles when they have a

(03:22):
clearer view of where they areheaded. When you're not 100%
clear on what you expect fromthem than the only thing they
can do is start assuming and I'msure you've heard the old saying
about what assuming does to youand me seriously, without the
clarity your team members willfail to ask important questions
about deadlines, or gettingneeded information on projects

(03:42):
because they fear your reaction,they'll spend extra time on task
because they don't have theneeded tools to perform
effectively. And they'llmultitask instead of focusing on
what's important. This will slowyour productivity and produce an
inferior product or outcomes tothe members of your team also
need to understand there isaccountability expectations for
the team as a whole and for itsindividual members. As a

(04:05):
manager, you expect your team tobehave in a specific way. You
have expectations on how theytreat your customers or how they
interact with each other. Thenthere's the individual
expectations that change basedon levels of responsibility.
Gary rich with a WD 40 companyshared his thoughts on
accountability with me. As I waswriting my book culture secrets,

(04:25):
the first thing is to definewhat they're accountable for. He
said, most people let peopledown because they haven't
defined what we hold each otheraccountable for. Accountability
is about buying into the hole,not weighing in on the pieces.
Everyone must be invested andcommitted to a shared vision to
achieve their collective goals.

(04:47):
In my book culture secrets, Iinterviewed Daniel Lawrence.
He's the founder and CEO of atech startup called bots for
that located in the UK. I askedhim about the importance of
countability and this is what hetold me Every one needs to be
equally accountable if they'regoing to succeed, we have our
annual strategy and we have aquarterly plan. That quarterly
plan gets very, very tangibleand very, very practical. The

(05:11):
outcome is that everyone hassome part of it in delivering
it. If any one of us misses weall miss is joint
accountability. So much as iftwo of us fail. Well, guess
what, we all failed. If I don'tget the deals in and get them
signed, it fails, and I fail,and there's no money around to
go around for extra bonuses. Ifwe don't finish projects on

(05:33):
time. We don't get the money,and there's no money for
bonuses. All these things arevery collaborative, and all
joined up closely. We all knowthat we're all got to succeed
for us to all succeed. There'sno I did, okay, we either all
fail, or we all succeed.
Accountability isn't aboutplacing blame. It's about

(05:53):
personal ownership takingownership must become a
discussion, even when nothing isgoing wrong. Too often, we only
discuss accountability whenthere is a problem, or we're
looking to place blamesomewhere. That's why team
members need to understand theirimplications and consequences
for the actions they choose. Ifyou as a leader haven't properly
articulated what theconsequences are for not

(06:15):
following through, why wouldthey take you seriously, your
job as a leader is to turnaccountability from a negative
perception to a positive one,moving everyone to a point where
they see accountability as apersonal value will take time.
But it can be a great tool forgrowth and development that will
lead to overall improve businessperformance. Just because you

(06:35):
tell team members to dosomething doesn't mean they will
unless they're bought into thevalue that it has to them as an
individual. It's also easier toreceive that buy in when they
say you leading by example,here's a few suggestions that
you can use to show your team astheir leader that accountability
starts at the top and you'recommitted to embracing the idea

(06:56):
of a 360 degree accountabilitymodel. First, invite feedback
from others on your performance.
Second, work on how you providefeedback and remember to not
only provide the negative butinclude positive feedback as
well. Three, be truthful do whatyou say you will do for

(07:17):
acknowledge problems five on thesituation and circumstances as
well as the results and six, askWhat else can I do to drive
results. A fringe benefit ofaccountability is that it builds
relationships. Accountabilityencourages employees to
communicate with each other andtheir supervisors. It encourages

(07:37):
them to get to know each otherat work. And this helps build
lasting relationships whichhelps people foster the feeling
of belonging in the workplace.
And this is a huge driver forculture and accountability
system breaks down barriersbetween employees and gives them
a common goal and provides timeto work together in unique ways
building accountability systemwill also serve to reinforce
your vision. Accountabilitykeeps everyone on the same page

(08:00):
from entry level to uppermanagement, each member should
be given a clear understandingof how they can be part of the
mission they should clearlyunderstand the follow through is
vital and expected.
Accountability is essential increating successful workplace
cultures. When everyone hasclear expectations and
understands the importance oftheir contribution to the team's

(08:22):
success, they're more likely tobe motivated and engaged with
their work and effectiveaccountability system can help
reduce conflict betweenemployees while promoting
collaboration and creativeproblem solving. When you have
an accountable team that sharescommon goals, it will be easier
for your organization to reachits objectives and foster an
atmosphere of trust and respectamong all members. Thanks for

(08:43):
listening to this episode of theculture secret podcast. If
you're like me, you want to workwith people who do what they say
they're going to do. I don'tappreciate those who look for
ways to blame others or makeexcuses when things aren't going
their way. I prefer to work withpeople who show up carry their
weight and contribute invaluable ways. That's
accountability. It's not someoneelse's problem. It starts with

(09:05):
you. It starts with me. It'sabout taking ownership of the
ideas and actions needed to movean idea forward. After all,
you're in the driver's seat, notanyone else. To learn more about
building a value culture in theworkplace, you can pick up a
copy of my book culture secretssecrets leaders use to build a
value culture on Amazon oranywhere books are sold while
something hands on are morepersonal and booking for the

(09:27):
first quarter of 2024. Forspeaking and training events.
You can find information aboutmy programs or schedule a time
for us to chat by visiting mywebsite at WWW dot Chellie
phillips.com that C H E L L I EP h i ll ips.com If you liked
what you heard today, pleasesubscribe rate and share this

(09:48):
podcast out whether your friendsgot comments or topics you'd
like me to cover. Connect withme on social media, my favorite
platforms LinkedIn, or drop me anote in the comment section.
Remember building a valueculture Is your competitive
advantage and the backbone ofany successful organization?