4 Ways to Invest in Accountability This Year

If you’re hoping 2024 is the year to get your team on board with turning excuses into problem-solving, expectations into results, and disconnection into engagement, “activating accountability” needs to be your mantra. If words like communication, productivity, and efficiency were a part of your new year’s resolutions, you’ll find that rather than being individual issues, those are really positive side effects of creating a culture where employees feel accountable to their organization, AND trust that their organization will be held accountable to them. 

In today’s new workforce, where remote work and digital collaboration have become the norm, spearheading an accountability campaign is paramount to the success of your organization. When you foster a sense of responsibility, ownership, and trust, those seeds will in turn lead to increased productivity, efficiency, and mutually beneficial outcomes. 

Here are some tips for building a culture of accountability in your organization.

4 Ways to Invest in Accountability This Year

1. Level Up Your Collaboration Efforts: Connect Colleagues Through Cohorts

Encouraging general collaboration sounds good, but doesn’t often lead to tangible results. If you want to activate real accountability, take it a step further by creating small groups, or cohorts, of employees who work together on specific projects. These groups can hold each other accountable for their work and ensure that deadlines are met. They can also provide feedback and support to each other, which can lead to better communication and a stronger initiative to choose collaboration in the future.

2. Think Big by Starting Small: Leverage the Daily Workflow 

Our rule of thumb holds true: Don’t expect sweeping change. Resist the urge to make big changes that won’t last and start by weaving in accountability measures as a part of your employees’ daily workflow. If you don’t establish a solid foundation where clear goals are set, expectations are shared, and constructive feedback is given, you can’t expect employees to respond by asking for clarity when they’re confused or taking responsibility for their actions.

3. Restore Accountability in the Age of AI: Build Engagement in a Digital Environment

With the rise of remote work and digital environments, it can be easy for employees to feel disconnected from their work and their colleagues. This can lead to a lack of accountability and a decrease in productivity. Invest in a culture of accountability by providing access to the right collaboration tools, project management software, and communication platforms, encouraging peer-to-peer recognition, and offering personalized development opportunities 

4. Model the Behavior: Evaluate Your Training Programs & Adapt

Building a culture of accountability requires a top-down approach. Leaders and managers must model the behavior they want to see in their employees. Hold yourself accountable for your actions and decisions, and be transparent about your goals and expectations. Evaluating your training programs and identifying areas of improvement is the best way to set the tone for the rest of the organization, and communicate that accountability is valued and expected. 

Are you ready to take the lead in creating a culture of accountability? Here are some resources to help you do just that!

• Anchored Trainings's Free 2024 L&D Playbook: The perfect play starts with a plan. The 2024 L&D Playbook is your passport to disrupting the status quo, igniting a culture of engaged employees, and establishing a thriving ecosystem of continual learning and development. Learn more and download your playbook here!

• The Kirkpatrick Evaluation Toolkit: The Kirkpatrick Model provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating training programs at four different levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. By implementing observations, coaching, feedback, and performance metrics, you can obtain more accurate evaluations and take ownership of the success of your organization. Learn more here!

• Anchored Training's Signature Blueprints: The learning blueprint is a comprehensive report that provides you guidance and recommendation on how to deliver your course to your ideal students. The blueprint is made up of a learner analysis, learner profile, course plan, and platform and tools recommendations. Click here to learn more about our blueprints!

Have other learning and development needs? Contact us here! We are on a mission to help you GROW in 2024.