In many respects, an accountable workplace begins with a state of mind. It is the commitment of the employee to deliver the value expected by the employer with no surprises. To move employees toward that state of mind which builds an accountable workplace the employer must create the conditions for accountability and commitment to happen. When firm owners and managers are talking about accountability, the reference is always about a very specific problem they face.

"I need our business development team to be more productive so we can boost our revenue to where it should be. If only they were more accountable."

"People here just don't seem to care about providing a quality service. If only I knew how to improve workplace accountability."

Barriers to employees being accountable often include the style of leaders who in many subtle and not so subtle ways actual stifle accountable behavior. Lack of accountability can also stem from structural or process issues. These may include lack of formal business planning, failure to communicate goals, little or no follow up, poor hiring decisions or inadequate delegation.

Take a Systems View

The astute leader never looks to a single cause for low accountability. The problems are always multi-faceted so it is useful to look systematically at seven elements:

1. How effective is firm leadership?
2. Is there clear strategic direction?
3. Are clear goals, measures and targets in place and communicated?
4. Are policies, procedures and processes aligned with strategy?
5. Are employees engaged?
6. Is there an "execution mentality" in the firm?
7. Is there an effective cycle of monitoring and review?

Building an accountable workplace takes time and effort; there is no quick fix. But the results can be ground-breaking.