Your answer to these two questions can tell you a lot about the health of your organization. 

Be honest here….

• Do the members of your team focus more on each other’s flaws, mistakes, and progress than they do on the desired results of the company? 
  
  
• Is there is excessive finger-pointing, deflecting, blaming, and making excuses for behavior in your company? 

If you answered yes to either, you might be looking at an accountability problem. 

So what can you do about it?

Studies show that only 41% of Americans report holding themselves accountable for their results and behavior in the workplace. 

One reason is that many organizations fail to recognize that accountability starts at the top. 

The simple truth is, your team will quickly learn what’s expected of them when it comes to accountability from the example you set. 

So the question is…

Do you do what you say you’re going to do? 

Do you own up to your mistakes without making excuses or trying to justify them? 

Are you someone they can trust to support them and help them reach their goals, even when it’s hard? 

If you want to build a more accountable team, here’s an action item you can work on this week, at home or at the office: 

Start being brutally honest with yourself. 

You cannot expect the members of your team to hold themselves accountable if you cannot be brutally honest with yourself, your limitations, your strengths, your weaknesses, you cannot help your team do the same. Taking an in-depth look within yourself is the first step in unlocking your full potential and allows you to set realistic expectations for yourself as an individual and as a business leader. Everyone likes to take credit for the good that happens in their life, but nobody likes to take responsibility. When you can honestly pinpoint how your actions impact those around you and take responsibility for them, you can clearly and strategically take action steps to be more accountable for your efforts moving forward.