Accountability In Management

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Accountability is sometimes viewed as a bad word. This stance on accountability usually comes from the non-management side. The truth is that accountability is necessary in successful management systems. Without accountability there would only be anarchy. The stigma that surrounds accountability exists due to its improper use. People fail to realize the importance of balancing consequence with reward. They fail to realize the full power of accountability by forgoing the positive and focusing only on the negative.

Positive Reinforcement
Without positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement is almost meaningless. Yes, no one likes to be in trouble, so they will do just enough to stay out of trouble. In order to make your employees want to go above and beyond the minimum, you must provide some positive reinforcement to give them a goal. Positive reinforcement can be any way that you recognize someone for a job well done. A pat on the back can go a long way. People look for the approval of others. You, as their boss, can give them the approval they seek. Providing physical, sometimes monetary, rewards is also important. This should be done randomly, to train your employees to work hard all of the time, not just when there is a contest. Positive reinforcement is the only way to harness the full power of accountability, but it isn’t effective without negative reinforcement.

Negative Reinforcement
Negative reinforcement is what gives accountability a bad name. Most managers never look into providing their people rewards for doing a great job. They only focus on the negative. They hand out consequences like candy. This will only build an ill feeling between management and the workforce. There will never be any productivity gain from a one sided approach. Statistically, you should provide one piece of constructive criticism for every four positive comments. You should always start out with the constructive criticism. If you were to tell one of your employees, “You do this well, but you need to work on this”, the positive comment is completely negated due to the work “but”. People tend to focus on the last thing you said. So it important to leave them feeling good, but remembering what they need to work on.

Accountability is a necessary tool in a successful management style and should be used with consistency. If you are properly using accountability to improve the quality and efficiency of your workforce, it will never feel like a bad word. Your people will respect you more. You will become a fair manager. It is important to remember not to become lax when it comes to consequences though. Positive recognition with no fear of consequence is a bad situation. People will think that they can get away with everything. It is important to look at accountability as a balance between reward and consequence.

by Christopher Lawrence