Accountability and

Responsibility in the
Workplace
For Employees, For Employers, Leadership, Personal Development, Remote team, Remote
work Updated on August 14th, 2023 7 minutes

Maria Petit

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As an employer, it is your responsibility to create an environment
that promotes employee engagement and job satisfaction. One of
the key components to achieve it is ensuring that your employees
are responsible and feel a sense of accountability for their work,
without hindering the balance of their personal life. Establishing
clear expectations and leading by example can help foster
workplace accountability.

Yet, responsibility and workplace accountability are often

confused, but they are two distinct concepts. Understanding the
difference between responsibility and accountability will help you to
create a successful and productive work environment that
encourages growth and development.

Table of Contents
What is Accountability in the Workplace?
What is Responsibility in the Workplace?
Key Differences of Responsibility vs Accountability
Benefits of Accountability in the Workplace
The Impact of Leaders with No Accountability
Building a Responsible and Accountable Team
FAQs

What is Accountability in
the Workplace?
In a company, accountability means being answerable for one’s
actions and decisions. It is the willingness to accept
consequences, whether good or bad, for the choices made on the
job. The real meaning of accountability is being answerable to
others for the results of your work and the impact it has on the
team, company, or customers.

Accountability in the workplace involves being transparent and

honest about one’s performance and taking corrective action when
necessary. In a professional setting, taking accountability is a
crucial trait that fosters trust, respect, and reliability among team
members. By being liable, workers demonstrate accountability and
commitment to the success of the organization and a desire to
contribute to its growth.

What is Responsibility in
the Workplace?
Responsibility in the workplace refers to the obligation of
employees to complete tasks and assignments assigned to them
by their managers. It encompasses a wide range of duties,
including avoiding missed deadlines and maintaining high quality
and accountability standards. When workers take responsibility for
their duties, it leads to the building of high performing teams, which
can work together to achieve common goals and objectives.

A greater sense of responsibility in the workplace can also lead to

a greater sense of job satisfaction and pride in one’s work. It can
also contribute to a positive work environment, where workers feel
valued and respected for their contributions. Responsibility also
means being open to feedback and continuously improving one’s
skills and abilities.

Key Differences of
Responsibility vs
Accountability
President Harry. J Truman popularized a quote that still rings true
today: “The buck stops here” to indicate that he was ultimately
liable to take action as the acting government leader and that he
would not pass the blame for any mistakes or failures to others. He
was willing to take full accountability for the consequences of said
actions.

Responsibility involves action, while accountability involves

ownership. According to Business historian Vincent E. Barry ,
responsibility in the workplace is “a sphere of duty or obligation
assigned to a person by the nature of that person’s position,
function, or work”, therefore responsibilities are outlined in the job
description and delegated to each employee.
Accountability is an action taken on the back of responsibility – it
requires that you take ownership of the outcomes, even if these
responsibilities are not achieved. Accountability involves more than
just responsibility. It adds the element of ownership and taking
ultimate liability for results.
As an employer, it is important to differentiate between both
concepts. In this way, you are aware of what each employee is
liable for and can ensure that all workers are held accountable for
the outcomes of their efforts. This will help create a company
culture where everyone has a clear understanding of their role and
purpose, and how they contribute to the success of the
organization.

Benefits of Accountability
in the Workplace
Creating a culture of workplace accountability can have numerous
benefits for both the individual and the company as a whole. It can
help employees to become more self-reliant, confident and
independent thinkers as well as help to instill a sense of ownership
in their work.

Improves Job Performance

Poor performance can be a major issue for any employer. To
foster accountability can be an effective solution. When workers
understand that they will be held accountable for their work
performance, they are more likely to strive for excellence, reducing
instances of subpar work and missed deadlines. This can help to
create a work environment where everyone is working together to
reach a common goal.

Fosters Creativity and Drives

Innovation
Employee accountability opens the risks and the exploration of
new ideas. This can lead to increased creativity and innovation
that drives the success of the organization. By encouraging
employees to think outside the box and take ownership of their
projects, a culture of personal accountability helps to foster
creativity.

Increases Team Engagement

Accountability systems can help to improve employee
engagement, protecting companies from low team morale. When
workers are held accountable for their results, they feel more
connected to the organization, as well as empowered to take
initiative and make decisions. This creates an environment where
everyone is working together towards a common goal and
encourages collaboration amongst team members.

Benefits of Responsibility in the

Workplace
Taking personal responsibility in the workplace is a crucial aspect
of any successful career. When an employee is responsible, they
are dependable, reliable, and accountable. A responsible
employee drives job engagement and highly-engaged employees
bring 23% more profit for their company. Reliable staff can also
help to build trust between employees and managers as well as
promote a sense of ownership in their work.

Boosts Self-Confidence in the

Organization
When workers feel responsible for their work, it can boost their
self-confidence in the office. Being liable and dependable makes
one feel more secure and trustworthy in their position, which can
lead to increased job satisfaction. As a result of this, employees
become more comfortable taking ownership of projects and
specific tasks. This helps build relationships with co-workers and
encourages collaboration between staff members.

Improves Time Productivity

Responsibility in the workplace can help to improve time
productivity as well. When workers take responsibility for their
work, they are more likely to prioritize assignments and manage
their time effectively. This helps them become more efficient in
completing tasks and meeting deadlines. Accountability is
important to help create better processes that streamline workflow
and increase the efficiency of the staff as a whole.

Foster Trust Among Team Members

Taking responsibility in the workplace is integral to cultivating trust
within a team. When employees successfully fulfill their duties and
projects on time, trust between staff members increases. This
creates an atmosphere of shared understanding in the office,
enhancing collaboration, communication, and problem-solving
prowess. Consequently, teams thrive and achieve greater
productivity.

The Impact of Leaders

with No Accountability
Leaders who lack accountability in the office can have a
detrimental effect on their organizations, leading to a number of
negative consequences. Here are four consequences of leaders
who lack accountability:

1. Decreased Trust: Leaders who lack accountability lose the

trust of their team, causing broken promises, and a decrease
in morale, loyalty, and productivity.
2. Increased Risk: An accountability gap increases the
likelihood of errors, accidents, and unethical practices that
can lead to legal and financial consequences.
3. Poor Decision-Making: Leaders who don’t practice
accountability are more likely to make poor decisions, which
can negatively impact the organization.
 4. Damaged Reputation: Lack of accountability can tarnish a
leader’s reputation, leading to a loss of credibility and
decreased opportunities for growth and success

Building a Responsible
and Accountable Team
Building a team that is both responsible and accountable is
essential for a successful organization. A team that displays both
traits ensures that work is carried out efficiently and effectively,
leading to positive results and a productive working environment.
Here are a few ways for creating a culture of responsibility and
accountability:

Establish Clear Goals and Expectations

An effective manager understands the significance of setting clear
expectations for their staff. Vague expectations and ambiguous
goals can lead to confusion, frustration, and a lack of motivation
among workers. By providing a well-defined roadmap, employees
gain a comprehensive understanding of their roles and
responsibilities. This clarity empowers them to channel their efforts
towards tasks that align with the organization’s objectives,
fostering productivity and success.

Empower Your Team for Success

When team members feel a sense of control over their work, they
are inclined to take ownership and show initiative. It is the
responsibility of managers to model accountability and empower
teams by providing them with the necessary resources and skills to
thrive. This approach fosters creativity, problem-solving, and
collaboration among staff members.

Offer Both Positive and Negative

Feedback
Providing both positive and negative feedback is essential for team
accountability. Positive reinforcement encourages workers to strive
for excellence, while constructive criticism helps identify areas of
improvement. This two-pronged approach improves
communication between managers and staff members during team
meetings, creating an environment where everyone is working
together toward the same goal. Offer feedback through a safe
space such as direct reports or 1:1 meetings.

Aim for a High-Performing Company

Culture
Creating a high-performance company culture that fosters
responsibility and accountability starts with leadership. Effective
leaders set the tone by leading by example, demonstrating a
strong commitment to both responsibility and accountability in their
everyday actions and strategic decision-making. By embodying
these qualities, managers inspire and empower their teams to do
the same, ultimately driving the success of the organization.

Show Respect to All Members of the

Team
Respect is an essential element of any successful team. Leaders
and managers should always strive to respect their staff members,
regardless of position or seniority, as their way to lead. This
establishes a culture of mutual respect in the office, encouraging
collaboration and innovation among workers. With mutual respect,
team members will feel aligned with the company’s core values,
fostering responsibility and accountability.

Creating an atmosphere of commitment and liability in the office is

essential for achieving organizational goals. Leaders play a
significant role in fostering such an environment by leading by
example and providing clear guidance on expectations. By taking
the necessary steps to create a responsible and accountable staff,
managers can help their organization reach new heights of
success.

FAQs
What is Accountability and
Responsibility in the Workplace?
It’s the obligation of employees to take ownership of and be
answerable for their actions and decisions. This includes being
held responsible for meeting deadlines, fulfilling job duties and
expectations, and being liable for any mistakes or errors made.

Do Accountability and Responsibility

Go Hand in Hand?
Yes, accountability and responsibility are two concepts intricately
connected. Responsibility entails fulfilling one’s obligations, while
accountability involves acknowledging the repercussions of
fulfilling or neglecting those obligations.

Is Accountability Taking
Responsibility?
Accountability, unlike responsibility, is typically associated with the
completion of a task. However, responsibility can be assumed
either before or after the task. As a result, accountability is often
limited to a specific situation, while responsibility can be ongoing.
What is Lack of Accountability and
Responsibility?
Lack of accountability and responsibility can manifest in various
forms, such as procrastination, shirking of duties, avoiding
decisions or blame, and not being able to take ownership of one’s
actions.

Problem
Assigning responsibility for a strategic change or initiative is straightforward
for most organizations. Whether the assignment is made by the “tag your it”
approach or a more thoughtful “who is best suited to lead this effort”
approach, holding someone accountable for success of the
change/initiative has shown to be a quite vexing. This problem is
exacerbated when multiple people or organizations are sharing the
responsibility as is typical on large scale initiatives or strategic changes.

How can leaders hold people responsible for results and outcomes to
which they have been assigned? How can leaders avoid the typical
excuses often expressed including: “it is not my responsibility” or “it was
their fault” or “it was really outside of my control”? How can staff and
employees engaged in a strategic initiative feel that they are committed and
accountable? How can multiple players agree on shared goals and
objectives, all working in concert to drive results? How can accountability
transcend leadership and staff changes in a low unemployment and high-
demand market cycle?

Lessons Learned
Working with commercial and public services organizations around the
globe I have found that successful leaders focus on driving accountability
throughout the performance management cycle from development,
execution, and evaluation using a few leading practices.

Development
Accountability is driven by and grounded in an organization’s strategy.
Leading practices include:

 Developing AND communicating the strategy to all those effected

and involved in its execution providing ample opportunity for vetting
and discussion,
  Directly specifying one or more performance measures AND targets
for each goal and objective constituting the strategy,
 Identifying key actions or initiatives to fulfill each objective and make
progress toward goal achievement, and
 Working collaboratively to assign responsibility for each action
leveraging a RACI model – Responsible, Authority, Consult, and
Inform – taking care to ensure that people are not given responsibility
without authority for making decisions, responsibility without the
expertise to execute the activity or responsibility without resources to
do the work. Work consensus to forge agreements and leverage
“command and control” management levers as needed.

Accountability is further driven down through an organization to teams or

across multiple organizations through a cascading of the objectives and
related performance measures. Leading practices include:

 Focus on the organization’s contribution to the achievement of the

performance measure rather than the entire target as it is rare that on
large initiative a single organization is totally responsible for a single
measure or metric,
 Likewise, focus on individual’s (or team’s) contribution to the
performance metric, providing a clear line of sight from corporate
strategy all the way down to the individual level (ideal, otherwise to a
unit level),
 Leverage protocols for personnel performance measurement, ideally
a performance-based system,
 Work with each individual to provide clarity and understanding of the
goals, objectives, and performance measures to which they will be
held accountable,
 Provide training, guidance and support to first-line supervisors to
which questions are most often directed, and
 Take care to not hold people or organizations accountable for things
outside of their direct control.

Defining measures and collecting data to track the measure to targets is

perhaps the thorniest of issues in establishing and maintaining
accountability. Successful leaders have avoided the “perfection trap” by
defining measures that are a combination of objective, hard metrics and
subjective, softer means of evaluating progress. Proxy data or derived data
can be used for measures where no direct data is available or the cost of
collecting/obtaining the data is prohibitive. Care must also be taken to avoid
organizations or individuals to “game” the measurement system.
Execution
Accountability is reinforced during execution by a few simple, but powerful
principles:

 Make results visible to all – individuals and organizations can only

implement a strategy when they can clearly see their contribution to
its achievement,
 Provide feedback with real data on a timely basis – to enhance rapid
course correction,
 Leverage “dash boarding” tools with, ideally, drill down capability –
but don’t focus on the technology, focus on the information and what
it tells management, and
 Carve out management time to review the performance data, identify
areas requiring action or follow-up, and directly engage with those
being held accountable for ideas to improve performance – give them
an opportunity to influence the outcome for which they are
responsible.

Execution is where accountability tends to suffer the most. Research has

shown that leadership simply spends far too little time reviewing and
leveraging their management teams to actively manage the performance of
those being held accountable. Typically, it is at year-end when it is too late
to have an impact on an individual’s or organization’s performance.
Successful leaders conduct monthly reviews of performance data and take
appropriate action – whether convening other organizational partners to
address common goals and measures or working internally to guide their
own performance.

Evaluation
Fairly evaluating performance is the last component of driving
accountability. There are two forms of evaluation that successful leaders
employ. The first is to have “management teeth” in the actual annual
performance review process and not allowing poor performance to be
unfairly “inflated” to a higher rating or go otherwise go unnoticed with little
corrective feedback for the next performance period. The
second is to evaluate the performance measures themselves. Are the
measures working for us or not? Is the data valid and meaningful? Do we
need different measures of success? Were the targets too high, low or
unrealistic? Were there too many conflicts or overlaps? Are we measuring
the right things? Can we leverage leading indicators earlier in the process
to improve performance? Are we measuring the right things in the right
way? These are all good questions that successful leaders ask themselves
at least annually. The answers will lead to thoughtful improvements in the
measurements and perhaps overall strategy. Both forms of evaluation
create a greater opportunity to drive accountability at the individual, team,
and organizational level.

Conclusion
Accountability can only be driven by a solid performance management
framework inclusive of strategy, execution and evaluation. Performance
measurement is about management. It has been said that “one cannot
manage what one cannot measure”. Likewise, “what is measured gets
done”. Successful leaders lead change or other strategic initiatives by
developing measures tied directly to goals and objectives, create clear lines
of sight from the corporate level down to the individual, provide timely
visibility of performance using dashboards, and put the time in required to
actively manage to the accountability sought. Accountability is a contact
sport.