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Accountability is an often unsung hero in small business. Many company runners fail to recognize the power of inspiring employees take ownership for their actions. That ownership lets them to be more engaged, which leads to greater loyalty and higher productivity. This culture of accountability should be encouraged at every level. Here are a few ways you can do that

It is hard to be accountable for something when you are not sure about what you are being asked to you, so make sure your employees are clear on what they should accomplish. In fact they should be part of the goal setting process.

Being part of the process makes them more invested in the outcomes. Write down their goals and your expectations, so that they have a reference when you are struck. Make sure that these goals are measurable and not vauge, as leaving a goal to interpreation throws the outcomes to the air. Make goals difficult but acheviable, by taking into acccount the time and resources available.

One of the best ways to inspire accountability in your small business is to give key employees the authority to make important decisions. You cant hold someone responsible for the outcomes if they never had a choice in how he got there. If there is a fork in the road, let them employees choose where to go. If you don’t trust him, it is probably best to give someone else the lead on the project.

Track and Review Projects Regularly.

While you may trust who you put in charge, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the project until it is completed. Regular reviews and constant tracking can help to make sure that they are on the poinnt. Weekly meetings, for example can not only keep the employee on track, but also will show their work is important.

The frequency of the reviews and meetings should match the project speed. Shorter projects should have weekly reviews, while you should consider monthly reviews for the ones that take longer to accomplish. Make sure to focus only on the goals and measurable metrics. Doing so not only makes those meetings more productive, but also it shows employees what they should prioritize.

Empower Employees to Solve problems

Not all project reviews will go well. Someties, a project will go off track, and you will need to tell the employee that the course must be righted. You dont have to berate or punish them, especially if there is a time to change course. All you need to do is to require that they develop a plan that solves the problem.

Only if their plan is lacking should you step in and coach them. Don’t solve it for them. Letting them come up with a plan themselves helps in establishing their accountability. If you solve the problem for them, it stops being their project in any sense. Any success from that point on will have your hands on their eyes, which will damp down their sense of ownership.

Start with Strong Employees

The best tip you can get is to hire people willing to accept responsiblity in the first place. All inspiration an culture in the world won’t help someone who ducks out at the first sign of trouble. Unfortunately, there is not test that can measure whether or not someone embraces accountability. All you have to work on is their past behavior.

Study their CV. Look at what kinds of responsiblity they have had before. Do they have a history o taking charge by seeking leadership roles? Call old employers an see if they are kind of worker you want. Ask about the moments when they failed, and ask them what they did to resolve the situation.

The more accountable your employees are for their actions, the better off your small business will be. Make it a part of your company culture and embody it in how you take reponsibility for your actions — postive or negatve. Nothing promotes accountability like a boss taking a lead.

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