Is Your Organization Experiencing an Accountability Deficit?
It might surprise you to hear that accountability — the obligation of individuals, teams and organizations to take ownership of their actions, decisions and results — is in short supply in most organizations. An article in the Harvard Business Review refers to data that shows
“… 82% of managers acknowledge they have ‘limited to no’ ability to hold others accountable successfully, and 91% of employees would say that ‘effectively holding others accountable’ is one of their company’s top leadership-development needs.”
This should be of concern to CEOs everywhere, as accountability encompasses the responsibility to meet established goals, adhere to ethical standards, and answer for performance outcomes — both successes and failures.
When accountability does have traction in the workplace, it fosters a culture of responsibility, improves decision-making and drives better results by ensuring everyone contributes effectively toward shared goals.
To learn more about the importance of accountability within an organization, we spoke with Dr. Barbara Sweet, president and CEO of the Learning Transfer Institute. Dr. Sweet has a doctorate in education with a focus on organizational leadership from Pepperdine University. She is also an instructor for the Business Training Center at El Camino College, where she conducts leadership training for a variety of manufacturing firms.
Q: How does responsibility differ from accountability?
Dr. Sweet: The difference lies in the following: Responsibility refers to the duties or tasks assigned to an individual or group; it defines who (the doer) is expected to do or deliver. Accountability, on the other hand, refers to the ownership of the outcomes or results of a task or decision. It involves being answerable for the success or failure of the assigned responsibilities.
There’s a communication tool called RASCI, which stands for Responsible, Accountable, Support, Consult and Inform. When used in the workplace, RASCI helps people to understand which specific tasks they are expected to perform and who is in charge of managing the project to a successful outcome.
The Support component lets team members know where to go to get assistance, resources or expertise to help complete the assigned task. While the Support team members are committed to providing assistance, they are not directly responsible for delivering work or for the success or failure of the project.
The Consult and Inform components of RASCI let doers know who should be consulted before a decision or action is taken, and who needs to be kept informed about progress so they can make related decisions.
So, therefore, RASCI helps define who is responsible versus accountable, which helps avoid confusion and redundancy.
Q: What is the importance of peer-to-peer accountability versus accountability to management?
Dr. Sweet: When team members hold one another accountable, it fosters trust, respect and open communication. In fact, business management expert and author Patrick Lencioni considers peer accountability to have an even greater influence than supervisory accountability. The key question is: How do we foster an environment where people hold each other accountable and engage in crucial conversations while maintaining mutual respect? In our training classes, we conduct exercises that help coworkers build a stronger sense of camaraderie, collaboration and trust, which helps their teams to feel equally responsible for team goals. Additionally, when peers hold each other accountable, it minimizes managerial micromanagement, allowing teams to operate more autonomously.
Q: How does accountability enhance employee engagement?
Dr. Sweet: Accountability among team members is crucial to employee engagement. Consistent communication plays a central role; when team members are given clear expectations about their responsibilities, it ensures they feel heard, valued and aligned with organizational goals and priorities. In addition, a culture of accountability fosters trust among team members and between employees and management. When everyone takes responsibility for their actions, it creates a sense of fairness and openness, which boosts morale and engagement.
This is important because research shows that employee engagement is in a significant decline. According to Gallup, only 31% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2024, marking the lowest level in a decade. Furthermore, Gallup’s data shows that clarity of job expectations — a key area relevant to accountability — has seen significant decline.
When employees know what is expected of them, they are more likely to focus on their tasks and responsibilities. Accountability ensures that goals, roles and deadlines are clearly communicated, reducing confusion and enhancing productivity.
Q: Can you share an example of how you’ve worked with a business to help improve accountability?
Dr. Sweet: Recently I was working with a company that had gone through a reorganization, which often leads to the creation of new roles, reallocation of responsibilities, or changes in reporting lines. So, post reorg, there was a lack of clear communication about the reporting changes.
We used the RASCI communication tool that we spoke about earlier to develop a chart that provided a clear and structured way to align tasks with the new setup. The process helped identify and map responsibilities, ensuring there was no confusion about who should be doing what and who would be accountable for outcomes.
Q: Tell us more about the training programs you deliver to employers.
Dr. Sweet: Through the Business Training Center at El Camino College, I work with businesses to develop customized training programs that meet their immediate needs and support long-term organizational goals. Before we start any training, we talk about what they want to gain from the training. What types of behavior changes do they want to see from trainees? Which business measurements do they want to see impacted? Do they want to see improved communications and teamwork? Enhanced employee engagement? Reduced turnover? Increased productivity? Better customer service scores?
My leadership programs are often composed of individual topics or modules. One of the most in-demand training programs is Business Etiquette, which includes the following modules:
- Competency: Clarifying expectations, delivering results, and practice accountability
- Character: Seek understanding, explore mutual purpose and mutual respect
- Communication: Communication Styles, email and meeting etiquette
- Collaboration: Teamwork
Employers can request individual training modules that typically run from four to eight hours each, or they contract for multiple modules that are part of a larger comprehensive leadership training program that can run for 40 hours over several days. Classes are highly interactive, team-driven, and customizable.
The feedback I often hear from our clients is that not only did the trainees learn new skills and acquire knowledge, but they had a shared experience that resulted in improved teamwork.
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For more information about the customized training programs provided by the Business Training Center at El Camino College, please contact:
Eldon R. Davidson
Director, Center for Customized Training
El Camino College – Business Training Center
13430 Hawthorne Blvd.
Hawthorne, CA 90250
Email: [email protected]