There is nothing that will make your project function better than accountability. Read that again because it’s true. Without it, you risk everything falling apart.
In some settings, it can seem like a rare feature. Everyone is just worried about covering their own backs, never each other. Nothing makes sense. No work ever gets from Point A to Point B. Gossip runs rampant. Leadership punishes everyone for the failure of a few, and then the organization begins its slow descent into failure.
Maybe, you are on a project where people play the blame game like kindergarteners play tag. No matter your situation, a lack of accountability can be a problem—a big, nasty, scary one.
In this post, we are going to face that problem head-on and help you create some kind of plan for moving forward without all this baggage. We will cover the following.
- What is Accountability?
- Types of Accountability You’ll Recognize
- How Accountability Functions in Project Management
- What is a Lack of Accountability?
- What Does a Lack of Accountability Look Like?
- Signs of a Lack of Accountability on Your Project
- Why It’s SO Dangerous
- 9 Ways To Fix This Problem
Before getting into this topic, just know this issue can be fixed. Judging by your being here and reading this, we can tell that this is not the end of your project (or your organization). All we ask is that you take on these ideas with an open mind.
Now that we’ve gotten that pep-talk out of the way let’s break this topic down.
What is Accountability, Exactly?
With respect to the organization, accountability is the understanding that someone will do what they’ve been assigned in the timeframe that their leadership has determined. While it’s not quite the same as “responsibility,” it is quite similar. The focus here is more on the aftermath of the task being completed (or not).
For team members, accountability acts as the assurance that their performance is judged or evaluated based on what they were originally assigned to do. Another way to look at accountability is like supervision and obligation.
In an individual, accountability is determined by the person taking charge of their situation and facing up to both the consequences and the rewards. If something succeeds, they get the credit. If something fails or if goals aren’t met, it’s also on them. No blaming others. No hand-off. They simply stand and face it.
When cultivated and used correctly, accountability is held by everyone. It allows the team to grow and meet their potential. It also cuts down drastically on poor output.
The term accountability can also refer to setting clear goals that are attainable, relevant to the organization’s ideal direction, and time-sensitive. It can also refer to the effort put into meeting those goals.
Different Types of Accountability
Depending on your setting, the size of your project (or organization), and the actual type of your organization, your team will face different kinds of accountability. The main ones being
- Corporate accountability
- Government accountability
- Political accountability
- Media accountability
Corporate Accountability
In general, this one is about numbers. Corporations, specifically publicly traded ones, have to face the fury of those who put money into either the start or the running of that business. They have to display how profitable they are to those who invest and have a say in major corporate decisions. They also have to explain why there is any difference between where they are and what they set out to do.
Government Accountability
You’ve heard of whistleblowers, right? That term generally represents someone inside a government system or process that saw something illegal, unofficial, or simply fishy and reported it. Some organizations protect those people and start an investigation into the behavior, moving them toward facing accountability.
Media Accountability
Even though there is constitutional protection of the free press from government interference in the United States, that doesn’t mean the press is free to do whatever. Misinformation, once identified as such, is held accountable with corrections, complete withdrawals, or aggressive lawsuits.
Political Accountability
When an elected official gets elected, a lot of money is involved. If that person doesn’t meet the standard of those who contributed to their election, they can have issues. And if they do something shifty, there are processes for regulating and correcting those behaviors. How well this one works is not for us to say, but losing out on reelection or political progression can be a consequence.
How Accountability Functions in Project Management
In a project setting, task ownership is really, really important. Especially with an extremely sensitive scope, deadline, and budget, everyone on a project is accountable for their actions, behaviors, performance, and decisions.
Accountability is how projects happen. People can’t dally forever. Growth, collaboration, and commitment to the job are basically required.
How exactly does that work on a project, though?
It starts from the top and trickles its way down. Stakeholders who heavily rely on the project outcome will apply pressure. They’ll always be watching, poking, and asking for updates—such is their right as a stakeholder.
Another way accountability manifests in project management is in the sensitivity of it all. A project can be canceled, whereas a business might have more safety nets before things get serious. Then, there is the team. They need to get paid, so they’ll buckle down and do the job. That is especially true for any contracted help you’ve outsourced, and they don’t get paid until their task is completed.
On a larger scale, if the team starts to feel the boat tipping, they’re likely to abandon your ship for another to not have to deal with that headache. One thing to note here is that they can leave in a panic before anything is actually a problem, which can leave your project up a creek without a paddle.
What a Lack of Accountability Looks Like, 7 Signs
We’ve talked a lot about what accountability looks like in different settings. Let’s discuss what it looks like where there is none.
1. The Blame Game
When a team lacks accountability, they never face up to anything. If they are questioned about some assignment not being completed, missing the goal, or failing to meet your standards, they’ll have a million reasons why it’s not their fault.
Someone else’s participation (or lack thereof) led to this point. They won’t even admit that they contributed to the problem. “Nope, it was that guy.”
The chief signal that this is happening is the heavy outpour of excuses. They’ll be never-ending.
2. Timelines Don’t Matter
You can set a deadline, discuss its importance, and ensure everyone in the room understands. You can receive written confirmation that that timeline makes sense, works for everyone involved, and will 100% be met.
And then it just doesn’t. You might find yourself back in the territory of Sign #1 with all the excuses you encounter as to why the task isn’t completed, but that doesn’t change the fact that the deadline wasn’t met. You’ll notice that this one becomes a trend.
3. Office Politics Become Deadly…
When accountability is nonexistent, people get mean. Everything becomes a conversation of us versus them. Everyone seems to be fighting to stay afloat—and by fighting, we mean they fight each other.
At first, this one might appear to be inconsequential. People are just motivated to progress in their careers, right? Sure, at first, that is what that will look like.
But as things progress, you’ll notice that there is more drama. There are more in-office conflicts. It will seem sudden, but eventually
- Everyone will have an issue with someone
- Work gets careless
- There is a lack of new ideas, just regurgitated ones
- Teams will form, and the lines won’t make sense
- Collaboration and innovation no longer matter, only getting ahead of their neighbor
4. So Does The Gossip
Everyone gossips. It’s like a base-model feature in humanity, but harmless questions about where Joe went on vacation are different from bold-faced statements about how bad he is at his job.
Also, as accountability leaves the building, so too does clear communication. The way people get information isn’t because leadership lets everyone know. Instead, it gets spread because they told one person, and it leaked out to everyone.
Leadership will also see an issue where gossip is the only way they get updates, too.
And if you’ve ever played a game of telephone, you’ll see how quickly the original details get skewed and be the end of the chain. The information is literal fiction. General distrust blossoms in this type of setting.
5. Nothing Gets Done
Of course, nothing ever gets done when no one is held accountable. A cultural example of a lack of accountability can be seen in pre-sale Twitter. The new owner, Elon Musk, interviewed employees and simply asked them to explain to him what they did. Few could actually give him an answer.
If people don’t stick to deadlines, deliverables will not be delivered within the designated time. If people aren’t actually required to do their job, they won’t.
Training will suffer. Communication will die off. Output falls dramatically—not to mention quality.
6. Reduced Employee Engagement
The members of your team who want to get away with not doing their jobs will place the entire burden of their role on those who are trying. Someone gets something done, and that person is drowning in other people’s work.
Why would any self-respecting person make a good effort in that situation? Answer: they won’t. They will check out, do the absolute bare minimum to collect a paycheck, and hate their lives. Your best workers watch your worst ones continue to get away with things.
On top of that, there is no collective vision in this scenario. That means those team members still trying won’t know what to work towards, which means their collective effort won’t amount to anything substantial.
7. Unclear Responsibilities
Another issue is people not knowing what to do. They don’t know what way to move. No one follows through. No clear goals are set, meaning they can’t be achieved.
Why A Lack of Accountability Is SO Dangerous
You can probably see why this is an issue that cannot be left unchecked, but if you weren’t sure, here are the biggest reasons a lack of accountability is a huge threat to your project or organization.
- Lowers morale
- Increases turnover
- Organizational issues get worse
- Trust disappears
- Time (and other resources) are wasted
- Organizational or project credibility suffers
- The general well-being of the business declines
Your best performers will feel trapped. They’ll look to new horizons for both better treatment and better opportunities. The replacements will find that your culture sucks, and they will leave, too. Those with power, who benefit from this system, will abuse it. Everyone suffers especially the business, in this state.
You get the picture, and it’s not a good one.
9 Ways to Fix Your Culture & Cultivate Accountability
As you can see, a lack of accountability existing in your workplace is a problem. Every single person involved in that scenario suffers. So, let’s talk about what you can do about it.
Just a note. Those on the team will have a different reach than those in leadership, but the essence of the tips remains.
1. You Need To Start With YOU
That might seem cliche, but it’s true. Just like in your personal relationships, if you want to create change, it must come from you. You have the power to change the patterns you are a part of.
So, the next time you mess up, get on the soap box and make it known. Apologize to who that impacts, and commit to fixing it. Set a SMART goal.
- S – Specific
- M – Measurable
- A – Attainable
- R – Realistic
- T – Timely
Putting yourself out there might seem scary, but it will have quite the effect.
2. Give Feedback, Don’t Be Mean
Constructive criticism is defined as a form of feedback that is directed at recommending change and improvement from that person’s perspective. Nowhere in that language did we say be mean. Cruel, “call-out” language is going to grab attention and then set the person you are talking to on the defensive. After that, they will hear nothing.
When you are recommending alterations, you only need it to be true—not mean.
3. Use SMART Goals For Everyone You Can
Don’t ask people to hang the moon when they don’t even have access to a ladder. Don’t ask people to build Rome in a day. DO NOT ignore your team’s right to free time.
Oftentimes, when you “lower the bar” or place the goal in a more realistic place, you make everyone feel better because they enjoy a dopamine hit from completing a task or meeting a goal. Everyone needs that.
4. Practice Team Accountability
During your weekly meetings, you need to do the following.
- Stand up—in front of everyone—and point out one thing you did wrong.
- Immediately after that, point out THREE things you did right.
- Ask everyone else to do the same.
- Discuss ways to better support each other as you move down the roster.
This one is about keeping things positive. Meet issues head-on, but let people openly take pride—even if it’s in the little things.
5. Realize That Accountability Does NOT Equal Control
You need people to show up because they want to, not because they are being threatened. This means that when you delegate tasks, you trust that person to complete them.
When you hold a meeting, you let people in on the “vision” or the collective goal, and then you help people see their role in achieving that. It does not mean you become a helicopter parent who doubles and triple-checks everything. Please don’t do that.
6. Allow People To Own Things
Building on our earlier point about “team accountability,” you must allow your team members to stand back and say, “I did THAT.”
Pride, overcoming, and a sense of achievement are crucial in a good workplace.
7. Clear Up Intentions
Have you ever heard a couple argue something like this? One party (person A) is annoyed that the other (person B) didn’t complete a task that needed to be done ASAP. The problem is that person A didn’t communicate that they needed it done ASAP, and person B continues working on their task.
The issue here is that intentions were never clarified. Person A didn’t say ASAP, and Person B didn’t explain they were already busy.
Make sure people clearly understand your needs and that you clearly understand theirs.
8. Develop Emotional Intelligence
Often confused with social skills, emotional intelligence is the ability to both recognize and understand your feelings. It’s also about recognizing them in others.
When people seem overwhelmed, don’t skip past that. If someone has a family emergency, clear as much of their plate as you can. Then, let everyone know you’d do the same for them—and do that. Build a team that cares about each other.
9. Promote Safety
One feature of a good culture that cannot be ignored is safety. Accountability can truly take root when people feel safe to claim their consequences just as much as their rewards. Let people know that they can come to you. In turn, go to those whose assistance you need as well. Let everyone know that collaboration means being able to admit when you need help.
You Can Do This
Toxic is a word thrown around often, but its meaning is no joke. A “toxic workplace” can very quickly turn into an unsafe one. And a company that allows that behavior to exist unchecked can quickly turn into a bankrupt one.
Here at A.McBeth, Inc., we know it’s better to open our thinking caps, receive new ideas, and use them occasionally than act like we know everything. Project management is pretty uncomfortable with that attitude.
That’s why we offer new (and old) ideas all month, so sign up to be notified next time. You won’t want to miss it.
