Leaders in Organizations

Unit 7: Accountability

Welcome to the unit on Accountability. In this unit you will learn what it means to be accountable and hold others accountable. You will learn about the Accountability Cycle and how to improve your own accountability and the accountability of the teams you work with. You will also have opportunity to reflect on and identify areas of potential personal growth.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Define and describe key tools for accountability;
  2. Identify the steps to create a culture of accountability;
  3. Define how accountability is measured;
  4. Explain the importance of setting quarterly team goals; and
  5. Utilize the prioritization process and grid to aid in setting team goals.
Practice

We encourage you to have a paper journal and pen with you to complete written activities and self-reflection assignments. Alternatively, you may find it useful to use Microsoft Word to complete written activities and self-reflection assignments.

Learning Activities

  • Reading: Defining Accountability (15 min)

    There are numerous definitions of accountability, many of which focus on some of the adjectives shown in the image below. One of the missions of the Defense Forces is to put accountability up front as a requirement for military life.

    The Ministry of Defence shall be an efficient, effective and accountable Government institution responsible for formulating policies and programmes on defence for the Government.

    Source: MOD Strategic Plan FYs 2008/9-2012/3; page 31.

    If you were to look at the MOD core values, you will notice that accountability is included twice! First, as a part of Integrity (a pledge to be upright, upstanding and above board in work and behaviour and to be ethical in conduct and dealings). Second, as Transparency and Accountability within the rules of engagement, open in practices, and willing and available to account for all actions and activities.

    What other adjectives would you want to see added to the “word cloud” image for accountability?

    In your journal, write down additional adjectives that you think relate to the concept of accountability. As you move through the content in this unit, see if any of those adjectives appear in the concepts being taught.

    Formal Definitions: There are numerous formal definitions of accountability.
    For example, Webster’s Dictionarydefines accountability as an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions.

    The Business Dictionary defines accountability as the obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and disclose the results in a transparent manner.

    Accountability is often a key component to long-term organizational sustainability.

  • Video: Accountability (1 min)

    To further your knowledge on Accountability, watch a short video from the Everyday Leadership series with Alice Maida (Malawi). Dr. Maida discusses the importance of accountability at all levels of management.

    Remember, accountability flows down to every leader, manager, supervisor, and employee within the organization.

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

  • Video: Introduction to Accountability (10 min)

    Next, watch a short video by Richard Wilkinson (USA), where he introduces you to the basics of accountability. You will learn why it is important to share a vision with clarity and understand the values that motivate and inspire others. People with a shared vision will be more productive and have a greater sense of achievement.

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

  • Video: Washing the Car (3 min)

    Watch another short Everyday Leadership video called Washing the Car with Tachi Yamada (Japan). This video is a great example that speaks to the importance of providing clarity. The point Dr. Yamada makes about not “micro-managing”, but having “micro-interest” is important to note. As managers, we want to hire capable people and hold them accountable and then have a shared idea of what we want to accomplish. The idea he presents is one of the fundamental concepts in this unit.

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

  • Video: Taking Responsibility (1 min)

    Watch the short Everyday Leadership video called Taking Responsibility with Bertha Katjivena (Namibia). In this video, Ms. Katjivena shares a personal story that illustrates the importance of taking responsibility and being accountable to others.

  • Video: Douglas Lungu—Everyday Leadership Profile (10 min)

    Next, watch a final video from the Everyday Leadership series, a profile on Douglas Lungu (Malawi). In this video Dr. Lungu discusses the importance of bringing an attitude of responsibility, self-empowerment, and accountability to bear on addressing management challenges.

    As you watch this video, keep the following questions in mind:

    • How does he balance commitment and overwork?
    • How did he handle failure?
    • What did he say that was aligned with and relevant to the content of this unit?

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

  • Activity: Writing SMART Objectives (15 min)

    In the video with Richard Wilkinson (Introduction to Accountability), he talked about writing SMART objectives. You may recall, a SMART objective is: Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Reasonable, and Time-bound. Use SMART as a checklist to help ensure that you have considered each item in formulating learning objectives.

    • Specific means that the learning objective describes the knowledge, attitudes, or skills that a learner should be able to demonstrate following exposure to a teaching strategy or learning activity.
    • Measurable means that achievement of learning objectives can be measured by test items, observation, problem-solving exercises, or other evaluation methods during or after the session.
    • Action-oriented means that the objective includes an action verb that demonstrates change or acquisition of knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors.
    • Reasonable means that the objective reflects realistic expectations of knowledge, attitude, or behavior acquisition/change given the conditions for instruction (e.g., time and size of group, scope of training).
    • Time-bound means that the objective specifies a time frame in which learners are expected to achieve the learning objective(s)—usually by the end of the session.

    When writing SMART or SMARTER objectives, remember to:

    • Provide enough detail so that you know exactly what you intend to achieve.
    • Identify appropriate metrics for your objectives. Determine tangible evidence of completion to measure your success.
    • Make sure that the objectives are aligned with the overall vision and mission and support the program/project purpose.
    • Watch the scope of your objectives and make sure they are realistic and achievable. It is often helpful to break large objectives into smaller, more manageable ones so that you can measure progress.
    • Ensure your objectives have a target date and milestones for achievement.

    Core performance objectives that align with the program’s purpose and goals result in successful programs. In training programs, explicit objectives are critical for guiding the scope of the program, i.e., subject matter, activities and metrics. Well-defined, prioritized, SMART objectives include action verbs, such as “list,” “describe” or “evaluate,” and characterize a desired outcome. Avoid vague verbs such as “understand,” “appreciate” or “promote awareness”. Using the SMART acronym as a checklist for objectives can support development of robust training programs. Furthermore, the use of SMART can be done out of order; for instance, M-A/R-S-T. The most important input to evaluating program effectiveness is often a "measurable" objective. All objectives should be written using the SMART format.

    In your journal, turn the following objectives into SMART objectives. When you are finished, click the Compare Answer button to compare your goals.

    • Participants will know factors that increase the risk of HIV transmission in women.
    • Participants will have adequate knowledge of the tests performed in India to detect HIV.
    • Participants will be able to understand WHO staging in their clinical practice.
    Compare Answer
  • Self-Reflection: Accountability in the MOD Building Blocks (15 min)

    Please revisit the six MOD Building Blocks from an accountability perspective. First, review the building blocks image listed below, then, in your journal, write down how you think accountability is built into the MOD building blocks to help the overall organization improve.

  • Reading: Improving Leadership Accountability Begins with a Look in the Mirror (30 min)

    How we see ourselves is often very different from how we appear to others. To gain a better understanding of your leadership strengths and weaknesses, take a look at yourself through the eyes of others. Read the following article called Improving leadership accountability begins with a look in the mirror.

    Improving leadership accountability begins with a look in the mirror

    Source: Executive Works. This article was first published in Business in Vancouver June 7-13, 2014.

    “This business of leadership is full of fads and trends. A word or concept bubbles to the surface, we all grab hold of it as “the answer,” books are written, blogs are posted, tweets are tweeted – until the next big idea comes along. It’s not a bad thing, providing that the concept is well founded and helpful.

    Lately I’ve been noticing that one word is increasingly gaining favour: accountability. I recently did a survey in a number of organizations, and which behaviour did respondents think others needed to demonstrate more of?

    At first blush it’s a no-brainer. If only people were more accountable, organizations would be healthier, morale would be higher, those poor performers would be dealt with and, yes, life would be better. Surely accountability is the answer? But hang on. Is it really? Who do we want to be more accountable? And for what?

    Typically, when people refer to accountability they talk of their desire for others to do things differently. To do their share, to follow through on things, hold themselves and others to a higher standard and to “walk the talk.” All very laudable.

    However, rarely does anyone talk about holding him or herself to a higher standard. I have yet to hear an individual pronounce that he or she is not accountable. And therein lies the problem with this concept of accountability. By focusing on it we typically turn our attention away from our behaviour. Of course we’re accountable; the problem lies with everybody else.

    Despite the fact we all know that self-awareness and humility are critically important when it comes to effective leadership, the default of many in organizations continues to be looking to others for fault rather than facing up to the reality of their own contribution. I recently conducted a survey in an organization in which I asked leaders to assess their performance and that of their colleagues. Without exception, everyone reported that they believed they were leading effectively. However, they were far less complimentary when it came to assessing the leadership of their colleagues.

    It is this unwillingness to hold oneself to personal account that’s contributing significantly to unhealthy organizations and frustrated employees at every level. Rarely is anything productive accomplished when we invest our energies into critiquing what others are doing “wrong.” Efforts would be better spent in holding ourselves to account.

    Real personal accountability is not easy—which is why it’s in short supply these days. It requires a mature sense of self as well as a healthy dose of courage. And I’m not talking about simply working hard and trying to do a good job. Rather, if we really believe in accountability, then each one of us should hold ourselves to account for creating healthy, honest and sustainable organizations. Which, for many, requires playing a bigger game.

    So how do you get started? Start by asking yourself a few questions.

    • What are you tolerating and why? Isn’t it time you stopped tolerating and started changing?
    • Where are you looking for others to change? Are they looking at you in a similar manner?
    • What are you willing to be personally accountable for? Your own happiness? That of your colleagues? Your organization’s health? Remember, criticism of others with no accountability of self is a fine example of pathetic leadership.

    We need to be careful about jumping on this accountability bandwagon. There is a danger it will do more harm than good as we merrily look around us to identify those who need to be more accountable. We would do better to first look in the mirror.”

  • Activity: Steps in an Accountability Culture (15 min)

    The diagram displayed on your screen is a model for accountability. It is a combination of the many perspectives that exist globally:

    1. Looking in the Mirror: Focus on yourself first, before being able to help others.
    2. Inviting Availability: Model the behavior expected of employees/teams or family/friends.
    3. Setting Expectations: Creating clear and measurable outcomes.
    4. Assigning and Accepting Ownership: Holding a single person responsible for a specific task for which the employee is fully capable of completing.

    Instructions: Tap each step on the diagram to read additional detail.

    Looking in the Mirror

    There are six considerations under Step 1:

    1. Assess how our personal core values are applied.
    2. Accept fault gracefully as the leader.
    3. Determine what change in YOU is needed.
    4. Role model—make personal changes.
    5. Set personal integrity goals.
    6. Identify an accountability partner.

    We as leaders need to be able to hold ourselves accountable to a standard that will result in the organization meeting the mission. In Unit 2, you learned about core values and how to identify your own values. Looking in the mirror connects back to that point—to assess how you apply these core values in your day-to-day work. For example, if you had honesty as a core value, do you apply it evenly across all activities or only to some on some days? The second consideration discusses accepting faults. Leaders must be able to accept responsibility for failure, regardless of who/what is at fault. The third consideration is about the change in YOU. When there are problems with meeting an individual deadline or deliverable, do you assess where you might go wrong? What do you need to do differently in the future? When there are problems with a team effort, as the leader, do you assess what YOU did not monitor or communicate, or do you put fault on the team? When you admit fault, your employees and team members will be more likely to admit and accept where they may need to make changes. Fourth, consider making personal changes. As you are planning for making personal changes, it is advised to set personal integrity goals. This means being honest and knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Create a plan for making the changes and how to address the weaknesses. Determine what assistance you need to make the changes a reality. Last, think about having an accountability partner. Who can you ask to help keep you on target with your plan and assess if changes have been made and how well you are doing with this first step to improved accountability? Identify an accountability partner who can provide honest feedback, a co-worker or non-boss manager/leader.

    Inviting Accountability

    Step 3 gives leaders the chance to set quality standards and identify specific outcomes desired. The outcomes identified should be identifiable by others not intimately connected to the project or task. Quality should be a key component of setting expectations. It is nice to have SMART objectives, but they do not often establish the acceptable quality desired. Let’s look at an example of a SMART objective:

    Quarterly reports will be submitted in a timely manner and completed in the required format of MOD.

    The Standards of Practice (SOP) must identify the report due dates and define the timeframe that is acceptable to be considered timely. This last component is what is often missing from SOPs. Each supervisor cannot have his/her own personal definition of whether one or two days after the due date is still considered timely.

    Setting Expectations

    Consideration six in Step 1 flows into the first item in Step 2. It’s important that you choose an appropriate accountability partner or partners. This person or persons should be someone you respect and know has strength in the area you want to improve. This person should not be someone who will be positive when not warranted. Ask your accountability partner for regular feedback. Consider what time frames may be appropriate (monthly, quarterly, per task, etc.). Do not make the expectation so cumbersome for either of you that it will not succeed. Based on your assessment of strengths, decide what areas you yourself may be able to serve as an accountability partner to another.

    Assigning and Accepting Ownership

    For every task, there should be only one owner who can be held fully accountable for performance. Even if your work is completed as part of a team, there must be some content that is solely at the discretion of a single person. In organizations where employees develop annual performance goals and objectives, it will be easy to write those specific to one employee. Ownership of a task or action can change, but it should be clear to everyone who the owner is. One way to achieve ownership is to assign it or seek volunteers. Volunteering usually is a result of modeling ownership. If you offer an opportunity for volunteers, know the competency levels of employees/team members, and use this as the basis for delegating work and assigning ownership.

     

    In your journal, write your thoughts about how ownership is determined in your current work setting. What is working and where might change be needed?

  • Reading: Personal Accountability, Where Do You Fit? (15 min)

    Developing a culture of accountability needs to include time for employees to determine their personal accountability. Accountability is critical to everyone’s job. Personal accountability isn’t a trait that people are born with, it’s a way of living that you can learn. Ask yourself and your employees to regularly answer these questions honestly.

    1. Is your role clear?
      • Do you have a current and accurate job description?
      • If part of a team, are your responsibilities clearly documented?
    2. Are you honest with yourself and with others?
      • Do you ask for help?
      • When you make a mistake, do you admit fault?
    3. Do you apologize when something has gone wrong and you were responsible?
      • How do you show that your apology is real and not just words?
    4. Do you use your time wisely?
    5. Do you overcommit?
      • Do you have a hard time saying “no”? Consider saying "yes" to the person and "no" to the task, so that you maintain a strong relationship and a good reputation.
    6. Do you assess yourself?
      • What could I have done differently today?
      • How can I build this change into my job from now on?
    7. Do you seek feedback?
      • Do you make changes?
    8. What do you recognize and reward?
  • Optional: Group Discussion (15 min)

    If you are taking this course with a partner or in a group setting, have a conversation about your leadership and management experience by discussing the following question:

    • Can you think of examples from your own life when people did not take sufficient responsibility for a situation or outcome? What was the impact on you, the quality of work, the organization, or the team?
    • How could things have been different or better?
  • Self-Reflection: Learning Action Plan (15 min)

    Putting your learning into action is essential to knowledge transfer, applying the knowledge you gained in this unit, and retaining that information in the future.

    Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned in this unit. After reflecting, in your journal, write:

    • Four things you learned in the unit.
    • Three things you will implement:
      • Today;
      • Six months from now; and
      • One year from now.
    • Two things that changed your perspective.
    • One thing you will ask for more help with.
  • Quiz: Unit Knowledge Check (15 min)

    Assess your knowledge on accountability by answering five questions.

    Instructions: Tap the correct answer, then tap the Feedback button to reveal the correct answers and read additional information.

    1. Match the following terms to their corresponding definitions.

    Feedback

    2.Which of the following is NOT a step in the accountability model that was shared in this unit?

    3.True or False: Accountability is the personal willingness, after the fact, to answer for outcomes produced, whether good or bad.

    4. In the introductory video on accountability, Richard Wilkinson discusses the concept of goal setting. How often does he recommend setting quarterly accountability goals?

    5.Describe how the knowledge, skills, behavior, and degree to which attitudes will change. Is this a SMART objective?

  • Reading: Conclusion (5 min)

    Now it’s time to put the pieces together. When you think about accountability, remember that it begins with you. It is important to make accountability an equal opportunity and expectation for all employees. Also, remember to look in the mirror and hold yourself accountable, model the behaviors and habits you wish to achieve, and don’t be afraid to go first. Finally, remember to document, review, and occasionally revise your commitment.

    To recap the information in this unit, you learned about the benefits of accountability. You studied the accountability cycle and described barriers faced when holding ourselves and others accountable. You had the opportunity to reflect on your own accountability.

    To end this unit, here are two quotes to connect the concepts you learn in Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People with this unit on Accountability:

    1. "Accountability breeds responsibility."—Stephen R. Covey
    2. "It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable."—Moliere