Accountability in project management: Importance, challenges, and how to build it

Introduction

“Accountability, the ability of people to understand what is expected of them, exercise authority, and take responsibility for delivering results, is an important dimension of organizational health.” – Michael Bazigos

As a manager, you know that keeping teams on track is no easy task. It's one thing to assign roles, but ensuring everyone takes ownership of their actions and delivers results is what truly drives success.

Below, you will learn what accountability is, why it’s important for your team’s success, and how to build it, even when facing common challenges.

Before we begin, let’s clarify the key difference between accountability and responsibility – two terms that are often confused but play distinct roles in a project’s success.

What is accountability in project management

“Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to results.” – Bob Proctor

Accountability in project management means taking ownership of the results of your work. It’s not just about completing assigned tasks but ensuring those tasks achieve the desired goals.

In simpler terms, being answerable for the outcomes of your actions. For example, if a project aims to improve customer satisfaction, accountability ensures each team member’s efforts contribute to this goal.

So, how it is different from responsibility?

Accountability vs. responsibility

Though accountability and responsibility are often used interchangeably, they are distinct concepts in project management. Let’s break them down:

• Responsibility means that one is in charge of getting things done. A marketing manager, for instance, is responsible for developing a campaign plan.
• Accountability is about being answerable for the success or failure of a task. In the same example, the marketing manager is accountable for ensuring the campaign increases website traffic by 15%.

In project management, fostering accountability ensures the “why” behind tasks is clear. While responsibilities define “what” needs to be done, accountability ensures those efforts deliver results. If you understand this clear distinction, you can lead your teams more effectively.

Why accountability is important for project success?

Accountability in project management is a necessity for successful projects. When each individual on a team has clear expectations of what they are to perform and be held accountable for, work gets done effectively, schedules are met, and quality improves.

As a manager, its your responsibility to foster accountability within your team, ensuring everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. Let’s explore why accountability is important and how it affects various aspects of project success.

1. Clear accountability ensures deadlines are met

Missed deadlines are the bane of project management. In fact, 37% of projects fail due to unclear objectives and accountability. When everyone knows what they need to deliver, and when, timelines stay on track.

For example, assigning a specific team member to oversee weekly progress reports creates a sense of responsibility. They will make sure that all updates are submitted on time, pushing the project forward.

2. Builds trust and encourages ownership of tasks

“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” – Simon Sinek

Accountability fosters trust among team members. When everyone takes ownership of their tasks, collaboration improves, and their morale gets a boost.

By holding individuals accountable, you are implying that one’s inputs are valued, and hence increase unity among the people working as a team.

3. Reduces risks and improves overall quality

Projects without accountability are like ships without captains or cars without drivers. In essence, the risks are raised, errors multiply, and quality declines.

Conversely, holding team members accountable ensures thorough checks, balances, and timely problem-solving. Regular interim meetings and clear task assignments can help you keep your team aligned and productive.

Common challenges in building accountability

Project managers often face several challenges that can prevent teams from taking full responsibility for their tasks. These obstacles, if not addressed, can derail projects and cause frustration among your team members.

Let's explore some of the key challenges a project manager can face when building accountability.

• Lack of clarity in roles and expectations: Without a clear understanding of who is responsible for what, your team members can end up duplicating efforts or leaving tasks unfinished. This confusion can lead to missed deadlines and frustration.

You can set clear roles and expectations right from the start to avoid these kind of situations. Use a task management tool like ProofHub to plan, organize and manage your tasks effectively.

• Ineffective communication within teams: Communication breakdowns are a major roadblock in building accountability. When project managers fail to keep the lines of communication open, important updates or changes can be missed.

Poor communication across your organization is a top reason for project failure. Consider a scenario where a team member completes a task, but the rest of the team isn't aware of it due to a lack of updates. This can create unnecessary delays and result in overlapping work.

ProofHub’s multiple task views such as Kanban boards, Gantt charts, table and calendar view provide a bird’s eye view of your projects and tasks, helping you and your team stay organized, track progress, and manage deadlines effectively.

• Resistance to accountability due to fear of blame: Your team members can resist taking accountability when they fear being blamed for failures. This can create a toxic work environment where everyone avoids taking responsibility.

In simple words, if a team member misses a deadline, they may avoid owning up to it to avoid being reprimanded, ultimately affecting the team's performance.

You can build a supportive work culture where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities rather than failures to mitigate this resistance and foster accountability.

• Micromanagement stifling team ownership: While it's natural for project managers to want to oversee progress, micromanaging can have the opposite effect. It prevents team members from taking full ownership of their tasks.

When a manager constantly checks in on every detail, it sends the message that the team isn’t trusted to handle things independently. This lack of trust results in disengagement and lower accountability.

For example, if you insist on approving every email or document before it’s sent, it can leave your team members feeling like they aren’t trusted to perform their roles.

5 strategies to foster accountability in your team

Accountability is essential for the success of any project. Without it, tasks can fall through the cracks, deadlines can be missed, and the morale of a team can be negatively affected.?

As a manager, encouraging a culture of accountability within your team can significantly improve the way work is carried out, fostering trust and efficiency.?

Here are five strategies you can use to build accountability in your team.

1. Set clear expectations

It’s impossible for your team to be accountable if they don’t know what they’re accountable for. So, set clear expectations from the outset to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Define roles, goals, and deliverables early on, and make sure they’re well understood by everyone. When expectations are set clearly, your team members can align their actions with project objectives and deadlines.

2. Use project management tools

To maintain accountability, you need to keep track of tasks and ownership. Project management tools like ProofHub allows you to create and assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress in real-time.

This transparency fosters a sense of responsibility within the team. You can easily see who’s doing what and whether tasks are on track.

3. Promote open communication

Regular check-ins and feedback loops are vital for fostering accountability. When someone is able to communicate with their team members regularly, they are more engaged with their tasks and thus are more willing to complete it.

So, create opportunities for your team to share updates, ask questions, and receive feedback. Consistent check-ins can help you address any issues early and keep everyone aligned.

4. Empower team members

Accountability blossoms when your team members feel empowered. Let them be responsible for certain decisions within their roles and make them feel that they own the projects they do.

Empowerment increases motivation and builds confidence, leading to stronger performance. By giving your team members the authority to make decisions, you’re showing them that you trust them, which in turn fosters greater accountability.

5. Lead by example

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." – John C. Maxwell

As a manager, you set the tone for accountability in your team. When you take responsibility for yourself, you leave a positive impact on your team and get them to do the same.

Therefore, follow through on your commitments, apologize when you have messed up and apply the same measures to yourself that you would to your team. Indeed, when you take accountability, you set an example and your team members are likely to follow the same example.

Final thoughts

Accountability is not about blame, rather it is building trust, ownership, and success together. Throughout this article, we've explored the role of accountability in project success, developing a sense of responsibility, and maintaining transparency among teams. In addition, this article addresses challenges that may occur when accountability is imposed and ways to overcome such barriers.

In order to maintain accountability, adopt the above-mentioned actionable strategies to help your team members to take responsibilities of their tasks. And, you can build a more accountable, productive, as well as successful project environment.