| One of the major challenges facing organizations | | | | You can't manage your organization, department |
| today is to ensure accountability with its policies, | | | | or group from behind your desk. You must |
| procedures and philosophy. Over the years, I | | | | circulate, be visible and get to know your people. |
| have seen numerous instances where there are | | | | This takes commitment and time, but will pay |
| rules, standards, expectations and policies that are | | | | positive dividends in the long run. |
| continuously ignored, sabotaged, and/or broken | | | | Perceptions become reality in the minds of |
| for any number of reasons by a variety of | | | | employees. It doesn't matter if what they believe |
| employees. | | | | is true or not. If they believe it in their minds, it is |
| As a manager, business owner or executive, | | | | true. |
| ensuring that what you expect is actually | | | | One of the best ways to determine the prevailing |
| happening on a consistent and routine basis is | | | | perceptions and attitudes throughout your |
| often a difficult, yet necessary, essential and | | | | organization is to conduct an employee perception |
| effective task if you want to ensure that your | | | | and attitude audit. To be truly accurate and |
| organization operates with integrity and | | | | effective, I recommend you retain an outside |
| effectiveness. | | | | organization to conduct it. It should also be |
| Some examples where there can be a lack of | | | | confidential. The employees must feel free to |
| accountability are: | | | | share reality without the fear of retribution or |
| -favored employees | | | | punishment for delivering bad news. |
| -ego-centered management style | | | | There are four premises for your consideration |
| -inconsistent discipline for infractions | | | | when it comes to accountability. |
| -expecting behavior without taking the time or | | | | One, expecting different results from repeated |
| effort to inspect that the behavior is actually | | | | behavior is a mild form of insanity. |
| happening | | | | Two, you get the behavior you reward in your |
| -inconsistent treatment of new employees | | | | organization. If you want to change behavior, you |
| -inconsistent of family members who are | | | | must change the reward system that is in place. |
| employees | | | | Three, all culture flows top-down. You can't |
| -varying compensation plans | | | | change an organization from the bottom-up. |
| -bonuses that are given with no thought for | | | | Four, when there is inconsistent accountability |
| performance | | | | there will be inconsistent performance. |
| There are numerous others. Why not ask | | | | If your organization lacks accountability I will |
| yourself - Is there any area in my organization or | | | | guarantee that you have some morale challenges. |
| department where there is inconsistent | | | | Ignore these to your peril. |
| accountability? | | | | |