How To Build A Culture Of Ownership & Accountability in the Workplace
Developing a team culture of ownership in the workplace is arguably more important today with teams often spread across different geographies and working remotely. This culture of team ownership allows teams to thrive when people are given the freedom and support from team leaders to be creative, try new things, think independently, and be accountable for their decisions.
Taking all the weight and responsibility onto your shoulders can be tempting as a leader or business owner, but it’s a heavy burden to carry. Of course, ultimately, the buck stops with us as leaders in the broader sense…but by taking the strain on our shoulders daily, we’re creating roadblocks in our business, and we’re undermining and disempowering our team.
When we have a team of people constantly awaiting instruction, nervous about making decisions, happier in their comfort zone and avoiding responsibility, that’s not a good place to be.
“Responsibility equals accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organisation can have”
— Pat Summitt.
Accountability and ownership in the workplace
So, what can we do to build greater ownership and accountability with our teams?
Here are a few suggestions…..
Give employees the freedom to explore, think, and find solutions independently. As a leader, we have to realise that we can’t control everything, and when we try to do so, it will be at the expense of our business moving forward. Our team can be our biggest asset when we allow them to use their skills and knowledge to contribute to the cause.
Show your team the ‘why’ – connect them to your purpose by sharing your vision, goals, people you serve, and why that matters. This will help link your team to a bigger purpose and one that is meaningful and important to them.
Make sure your employees know their roles within any project or meeting. Ensure they understand what’s expected of them, what their contribution means and the value of their participation.
Help them identify their High Payoff Activities within their role and the top 5 things they need to master to be great at what they do. Taking the time to do this will drive immediate value to both them and the business driving purpose within the role.
Don’t be afraid to teach your team everything you know. This builds a level of trust and often loyalty among employees. It will encourage them to care more about the business, think more like an owner and feel more motivated than ever to contribute to the company’s success.
Finally, help your employees to track their progress……help them to be accountable to themselves by putting in place processes to measure progress and to reward and recognise achievements.
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
— Benjamin Franklin
All these things will help cultivate a culture of ownership and ultimate accountability within your business…..something that all of the most successful companies have achieved and continue to do regularly.
Cultivating workplace inspiration
Considering the start-up mentality, this is an excellent example of creating ownership and accountability.
Those who have been at the heart of successful start-ups will often describe the sense of shared ownership and commitment to the cause they felt, especially in the early days of the business.
In essence, they felt they were part of something that would change the world……so they were motivated, inspired and driven to play their role and contribute as much as possible.
Cultivating this kind of drive and inspiration in your team is priceless.
“On good teams, coaches hold players accountable; on great teams’ players hold players accountable.”
— Joe Dumars.
As leaders, we can help our teams become more accountable. And with that, they also become more motivated and more committed to the business.
I’ve been there as an employee – that first time someone gave me a sense of ownership, being trusted to make decisions and being allowed the space to do things my way. And it felt amazing.
Ask yourself this…
1- Are your team members thriving?
2- Are they taking ultimate responsibility?
3- Are they making autonomous decisions?
4- Are they setting themselves goals?
5- Are they coming up with new ideas?
Or are they turning to you to give them all the answers?
“Leaders inspire accountability through their ability to accept responsibility before they place blame.”
― Courtney Lynch
Our Leadership Development Programmes will teach you, as a leader, how to build ownership and accountability within your team so that you can be confident that they will deliver what you need them to.
Letting you focus on the high-value tasks that propel your business forward.
We’ll help you find and refine your leadership style, bring out the best in your team, transform your mindset as a leader and focus on the steps to deliver business success.
At The Power Within, we run the world’s first and only SQA-approved programme in Leading With Motivational Intelligence, “Trust & Inspire Leadership”, which helps leaders and emerging leaders across all sectors develop their growth mindset, team coherence and accountability and achieve their true potential.
Ninety-nine per cent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.
— George Washington Carver
This framework’s heart is how we build great teams, lead and inspire them, and grow our team and business to achieve tremendous success. If you’re a leader who would like to improve your leadership style to help achieve your goals, then we can help you and your team think bigger, do better and achieve more.
The Power Within was created to help people think bigger, be better and achieve more than they ever thought possible in finding business motivation!
All our programmes – including our worlds-first Executive Diploma in Leading With Motivational Intelligence (MQ) and our Business Growth Academy – have been created with passion and commitment to our mission. If you’re a business leader struggling to thrive and be the best you can be…then we can help.
Click the link below to learn more about how we can help you achieve your desired business success.
James Fleming
The Power Within Training,
The Motivational Intelligence Company
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