The Value of Accountability
Filed under: Business Tips
As a business manager, you expect your employees to be accountable for their actions. But when you also demonstrate accountability, the effects often trickle down through the rest of your company. As a leader, the burden is upon you to set a good example!
In particular, you should strive to hold yourself accountable in the following areas:
Communication: Do you feel comfortable communicating with all of your employees? You can hire the best employees in the world, but they will likely fail if they don’t know what you expect of them. Remember to communicate regularly and clearly with all of your employees. Try not to simply exist as a face on a computer screen; schedule in-person meetings and personally contact your employees whenever possible.
Delegation: Are you comfortable with handing tasks to other people, and then letting go of control? It is nearly impossible to serve as a strong leader, while you are also managing routine tasks by yourself. You absolutely must learn to delegate responsibility! First hire the most skilled workers that you possibly can. Then, thoroughly train your employees and give them access to the resources they need to excel at their jobs. Finally, allow your employees some freedom. Resist the temptation to constantly look over their shoulders, and let them work without your interference. This can be the most difficult step of all, but it is absolutely necessary if you want to become a strong leader!
Leadership: Do I spend most of my time leading my team, or trying to perform various menial tasks? True leaders have learned to delegate responsibility and communicate with their staff. It can be difficult to let go of daily tasks. But you must find a way to move beyond the menial chores, so that you can focus on sharing your vision with your employees. When you are focused on goals and enthusiastic about sharing those ideas, you inspire employees to respect you as a leader.
Finally, remember to check up on yourself periodically. Many company leaders accomplish this by creating accountability scorecards. Establish the objectives that are most important to you, and then regularly ask for feedback from your trusted advisors. For completely true and impartial accountability, you might even ask for feedback from every single employee.
For more information on developing accountability as a business leader, call Jim McLaughlin at Morrison McNabb: (951) 225-2179
