How do you foster a culture of performance and accountability in your organization?

Setting clear expectations is essential, but it’s crucial to connect them to both individual growth and organizational goals. Regular, constructive feedback and recognition help team members see their impact. While performance management tools can track progress, personal engagement, like one-on-one check-ins, fosters accountability more effectively than rigid systems.

Encourage a culture of peer reviews where team members can provide constructive feedback to one another. This not only builds a collaborative environment but also distributes accountability across the team.

Purpose is key. Employees will do what they do based on their perceptions of what is important, often at odds with others. When an org is crystal clear about their higher purpose, the org can be laser focused. Disney preached a very emotional purpose: making people happy. Iit made him millions. Every action was decided and delivered based on whether or not it would deliver happiness. A custodian, for instance, knows clean streets make people happy, so he happily cleans streets (because it's not about task, it's about how task fits purpose). When you have that level of clarity of purpose, and preach it to your employees, and demonstrate it yourself, and align organizational actions, behaviors, and processes to that goal, you win.

Accountability is like a four-letter word in some organizations. Why? It's treated as a cudgel to hit people when things go wrong. This is a misapplication of accountability. When expectations are communicated, a bug emphasis should be placed on the positive impacts of successful performance. We shouldn't be focusing on who messes up the most. We should be focusing on the most joint success we can achieve.

Two leadership qualities that prevent organizations from reaching their full potential are ego and blind spots. Ego is when we cling to our opinions, reject feedback, and justify errors, while blind spots are areas of ignorance we're unaware of. These elements limit our perspective. It is crucial to eliminate such behaviors to foster growth. Cultivating a growth-oriented culture means sometimes stepping aside for those with more expertise or a greater stake in a project's success. Entrust them with the responsibility to address challenges and support their efforts. This encourages a more inclusive and effective leadership approach. This shift not only enhances organizational growth, it builds a more collaborative and innovative culture.

Regularly recognizing and rewarding achievements can boost morale and reinforce a performance-oriented culture. Use various recognition methods, such as awards, shout-outs in meetings, or spotlighting accomplishments in company communications, to ensure that contributions are acknowledged and appreciated.

Empowering teams through autonomy starts with trust. A great example is Netflix, which is renowned for giving its employees significant freedom to make decisions within their roles. By providing the tools, resources, and support needed, Netflix fosters accountability and innovation, encouraging employees to take ownership of projects. This autonomy, paired with mentorship and continuous learning opportunities, drives performance while cultivating a culture of creativity and initiative.

When you focus on building trust among team members, you create a culture where holding people accountable for performing shifts from the responsibility of the manager to the responsibility of everyone. When people feel empowered to hold one another accountable, that’s a sign of a high performing team.

Create individualized development plans based on performance evaluations that focus on both short-term and long-term growth. These plans should include specific, actionable steps for improvement and career advancement opportunities.

There are two types of feedback: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic feedback is that which is realized by the performer as they are performing; it is when the performer is able to discern the value of their contribution without requiring the input of others. Extrinsic feedback is that which is provided by others (or by technology: monitoring and reporting). While both types of feedback are important and can be useful in improving performance, intrinsic feedback can he more powerful because it is felt and owned by the performer. Finding ways to accentuate intrinsic feedback in a performance culture can go a long way in not only improving performance but also establishing autonomy and empowerment.

I believe that this all starts with the right kind of leadership. Most employees will not thrive under poor leadership, whereas others who are self-aware and self-guided can work within that framework to still produce desired results. When leadership can demonstrate accountability while achieving performance then only can the team thrive. A poor Manager may be able to get their team to perform and meet organizational targets etc, but at what cost?

Understanding what motivate and inspires people varies from person to person. Where one person may thrive off of public recognition, another may prefer private acknowledgment. It is important to know your people and their preferences so you can customize your approach to rewards and recognition.

We’re social creatures who observe how others are treated—how they’re rewarded and punished—and we use that information to inform our own behaviors and performance. When we witness others being expected to perform and held accountable when they do not, we adjust our own behaviors and performance accordingly. Therefore, it’s imperative that we create a culture where accountability is expected and consistent.

If leaders aren't modeling accountability, we cannot expect our teams to, that's the bare minimum for making this part of your team's culture. There's another side to this as well. No one is going to take accountability for their actions if they're scared of the repercussions, so make sure you're making an effort to recognize your teams when they take accountability and support them in doing so.

Modelling accountability should happen at all areas of an org, but especially within leadership. Most companies do this to the extreme... the only time employees see poor performance in leadership it's followed by exits or by non-chalance. It's important to be moderate and proportional in your response. Show that expectations weren't met, and that there's a downside to that, but that it can be turned around. Show accountability and responsibility proactively, and be genuine in your communications. This will help ensure you're building a culture where people aren't afraid to share failures, but also don't get comfortable with failure being the norm.

It's crucial to integrate continuous feedback loops and foster an environment where transparency thrives when building a culture of performance and accountability. Real-time feedback mechanisms allow teams to course-correct early and maintain momentum toward their goals. Additionally, it's essential to encourage open communication, where employees feel comfortable sharing concerns or suggestions for improvement. For example, implementing 360-degree feedback systems can give a well-rounded view of team dynamics. Balancing constructive criticism with encouragement is key to keeping performance standards high while maintaining morale.