The fourth and final blog in this series covering the topics in the workshop element of the Maritime Leadership Development Programme and how to create a High Performing Team, focuses on Accountability and Results.
Accountability
What is Accountability?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines accountability as ‘the fact of being responsible for what you do and able to give a satisfactory reason for it.’ In a team, this means that every member must take ownership of their work and deliver to a high standard.
Why is accountability crucial for a high-performing team?
Accountability ensures everyone takes responsibility for their actions and work, therefore creating trust amongst the team. A team that is committed to an end goal tends to perform to a higher standard and get to their goal more effectively.
The consequences of a lack of Accountability?
When accountability is absent, issues within the team can arise because they aren’t being addressed. This can then lead to decreased motivation, uneven workloads, and unresolved issues. Lack of accountability can break trust as teams cannot rely on each other and goals are missed. Unhealthy conflict can arise between team members and progress will stall.
Facet5 and Accountability
By understanding the key factors that drive accountability, i.e. Trust & Responsibility, we can look at an individual’s personality to ensure that what they need to be accountable for is met.
- Control: Responsibility
Team members need to be responsible for their own work and must feel comfortable in holding others to account. - Affection: Support and Trust
Looking at how team members treat others, knowing how likely staff are to trust and support each other, and what needs to be done to ensure they do, is key to creating accountability in the workplace. Mutual support strengthens the team and creating a trusting environment encourages accountability.
In conclusion, accountability is crucial for a high-performing team. How do you ensure your team is accountable?
Results
Results provide a tool to measure the teams progress and effectiveness. Subsequently, by consistently achieving results the team will be motivated to consistently perform and therefore creating a high performing team.
However, to achieve results, the team need to trust, engage in healthy conflict, be held to account and commit to each other.
For more information on how Accountability and Results impacts you and your team and on the Maritime Leadership Development Programme. Contact Helen & Monique [email protected]
