CREATING A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY (Excerpt)

Accountability vs. responsibility

…accountability means being held responsible for the results obtained after one has performed an activity. Accountability means being answerable for one’s actions or decisions. In ethics and governance, it involves answerability, blameworthiness, and liability. The main difference between responsibility and accountability is that responsibility can be shared while accountability cannot. Being accountable means not only being responsible for something but also ultimately being answerable for your actions.
Accountability is owned by you.

How do you hold someone accountable?

Be clear.
Follow up regularly.
Share the brutal truth.

In the process of holding someone accountable, you have three choices: repeat, reward, or release. If you feel the other person lacks clarity about the task, repeat. If the task has been accomplished to your satisfaction, reward. If the person is not capable of demonstrating accountability for a task, you have the option to release.

Accountability cannot be accomplished through edict. Rather, it is best taught through example by leaders who practice the principles they want their team to follow. While most business leaders preach the importance of holding employees accountable for their actions, far too many do not apply that same standard to themselves. The most successful leaders skip the blame-and-complain game; they make things happen despite major obstacles. They follow through on their promises and remain committed to their own performance as well as that of others. Why? They want to meet or exceed organizational goals.

What is culture, and what does it have to do with accountability? Corporate culture is a set of values and principles that show up in the everyday behavior of your people. In many ways, culture is like personality. Culture is the outcome of a set of rules for working together and is so powerful that it shapes your work environment, business relationships, and, ultimately, how you serve the customer.

In today’s competitive marketplace, it is essential that accountability be a fundamental principle in your organization’s culture. You and your colleagues must understand where you fit into the firm’s strategy for achieving results. This involves understanding the organization’s vision and mission, your role within the firm, and the specific tasks or actions for which you are responsible. A culture of accountability can be shaped and molded. It is evidenced by the behaviors, beliefs, and values of every member of an organization.

Accountability Scorecard

Much like a scoreboard in a stadium, an accountability scorecard is a visible indicator that measures and monitors the results of your game. As a growth-minded industry professional, is it fair to say that you embrace a culture of accountability as well as a desire to measure and benchmark organic growth, customer engagement, retention, cross-selling, prospect pipelines, referrals, quality at-bats, new business hit ratios, and more?

An accountability scorecard is an essential element for achieving success in the business of insurance and risk management. Why? Because it serves as a means to measure the impact of your actions, behaviors, decisions, and, ultimately, performance.