Accountability in the workplace is extremely important. Think about how accountability impacts every level of an organization from the perspective of a business owner or manager. Beginning with an organization’s employees, accountability must be a valued trait, otherwise their performance will be lacking. What many organizations have realized over time is hiring accountable employees is about as difficult as instilling a sense of accountability in their existing employees. What sort of impact does this trait have on workplaces, though? Employees that value accountability have reported a more genuine satisfaction with their position, in addition to enhanced motivation related to improving their organizations’ bottom line.

In order to realize this impact, managers and executives must first be able to demonstrate their ability to hold employees accountable. Unfortunately, nearly four in every five managers indicate they have ‘limited to no’ success in this regard. The impact that this has on employees cannot be understated. As nearly nine in every ten employees report their organizations need to find more successful ways of holding staff accountable.

In order to accomplish this, though, it often takes leading by example. Members atop an organization’s hierarchy need to set the bar high in regards to accountability to truly set forth the best example possible. This means the moment a mistake is made, the employee responsible should feel comfortable enough to admit it and then work towards solving the issue at hand. Being able to communicate about the mistake or issue also leads to less of the same mistake being made by other employees.

Setting forth a standard for accountability begins with the goals and expectations of a company. These goals and expectations should be communicated to employees on their first days in the office. Having a more precise understanding of how their position contributes to the overarching goals and mission of the organization they represent is imperative for fostering such a sense of accountability. In order for this to be accomplished, though, executives and managers have to more openly communicate with their employees. Allowing for an open-door type policy with employees can truly allow for all the conversations necessary to creating the best work environment to be had.

Only when a set of values is decided upon by an organization can the hiring process become more simplified. Organizations should only be willing to hire those with a similar set of values as theirs. Be on the lookout for applicants with the ability to admit they’re wrong and address the mistakes they’ve made and possible solutions for their mistakes. These are the types of employees you’ll want to fill out your organization.

A company culture focused on accountability will never be fully realized until all members of the organization are capable of receiving feedback and criticism. Only after this can employees and executives make meaningful changes to right their wrongs and improve an organization overall. For more information on how accountability can strengthen both teams and an organization entirely, be sure to check out the infographic coupled alongside this post. Courtesy of Minute7.