Accountability creates ownership inside your stores of the problems, successes, goals, initiatives, and most important of all, results. Things get done right. When your staff owns their results and achieves success they feel rewarded. People start to care, they work harder, they aspire to grow, they want to win… And they do!
Accountability often scares people thinking someone is about to get fired! That’s about step number 12 or 13 in the accountability process. Accountability recognizes that humans tend to try to ‘get away with’ what they can. When we know we’re held accountable, our performance always improves.
In a nutshell, achieving success must matter. Otherwise, complacency takes hold.
Action Ideas
- Clearly established goals must always be in place and be reinforced throughout each shift.
- Constant measures of performance must take place continuously.
(Did you notice that these first two items are in fact the first two of the five foundations? Check out this blog … and this one … for more information)
- Implement weekly coaching sessions with your team to review performance so that nothing is allowed to slip between the cracks.
- As Managers and Leaders, you must hold yourself accountable for your own performance, actions and words. If you don’t start with personal accountability, your staff will never step up either.
- Assign ownership of various tasks in the stores to select individuals as a means of assigning accountability throughout the store.
- Create a culture that values open and honest communication about performance. More feedback is required at all levels on a daily basis.
- Clearly define minimum performance standards and measure everyone against them constantly.
- Never tolerate poor performance.
