Powerful Women Create Accountable Cultures

I'm on a mission to propel more women lawyers to power positions where they can have more control over their careers, compensation, and courage. Today, we talk about creating accountable cultures.

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Karen Walker of Will & Grace is one of the worst employees ever. Karen is lucky she's "friends" with Grace because she would get shown the door in any other job. She treats her career as if it were a hobby, approaches it passively, does the bare minimum, and then flaunts it for praise and compensation. We can blame Karen, but in reality, Grace created a culture where Karen's behavior is allowed to happen.

The problem is not just a manager's problem. It impacts many people, customers, and colleagues. It is easier to ignore the problem or take on the work yourself than to have a difficult conversation. These conversations are needed, and an accountable culture is also required. Having such a culture allows people to accomplish more efficiently and effectively.

The positive outcomes are not limited to the work outcomes. In accountable cultures, employees have increased feelings of competency, commitment to the work, creativity, and innovation, and higher employee morale and satisfaction.

Here Are Ways to Create an Accountability Culture

Set Clear Expectations

To succeed, people need to know what is expected of them. To have an accountable culture, it is critical that you select clear expectations for tasks and what is and is not accepted in the workplace. Concerning assignments, this includes building time to explain the work and the context (missing information does not help people achieve goals).

You need to talk about what you or the company expects regarding accountability. You want to herald those individuals who were accountable even under challenging situations.

One of the most effective ways to set clear expectations is to get agreement from the other person. The most impactful agreements are when you and the other person reach a consensus, and the person feels empowered to move on. Being direct may get a project done in time—but it is less likely to be innovative or creative.

Support

You want to set your team up for success. Make sure you only set the employee loose after providing the required tools and information. Accountability is a two-way street, and providing support is the manager's side of the bargain. Ensure they have all the resources they need, including the access to you to reach out to you for questions or coaching. You want an open-door policy where employees feel comfortable coming in and raising issues.

Monitor and Provide Feedback

You want to have a handle on how a project is going so that it is easy to modify the approach if necessary, and as part of that progress, you want to provide feedback. Let your employees know what they're doing right and what can be done differently. If possible, engage them in brainstorming to develop solutions and increase engagement. Feedback creates accountable people, boosts motivation, and generates productivity.

If you want to learn how to create a culture of accountability and responsibility in the workplace, you need to create an environment where issues are raised, addressed, and worked on, not ignored.

Your employees will not always be perfect, and part of teaching accountability is navigating when employees do not live up to expectations and reinforcing pictures of responsibility in the workplace. The goal should never be to scold or embarrass the employee you think needs to course-correct. Instead, it should impress on them "more effectively taking ownership of your job" and being adept and listing out why.

If you feel multiple employees need clarification on what is expected of them, call a team meeting where members can better learn your employee accountability policy, learn what taking the initiative at work means, and voice concerns you may not be aware of.

When everyone is rowing in the same direction and has ownership of goals and positions, you create more impactful results. One of the keys to doing this is creating a culture of accountability and holding yourself and your employees accountable.

What more insights?

• Unlock your leadership potential with this guide to Stop Playing Small.
• Transform your business development with a calendar of actionable steps and strategic insights tailored to accelerate your client cultivation with my Business Development Booster Checklist. Download it here.

Sheila is the CEO of Focus Forward Consulting. She helps intelligent and accomplished women lawyers go from uncertain and uninspired to unstoppable and attain power positions where they have greater control of their careers, compensation, and courage.