Rolling On – A Handful of Tips 2 – Becoming Accountable

It is essential to carry out continuing evaluation of your work performance and that of your staff.

Without personal accountability policies, programmes will most likely fail.

Accountable is being answerable to others for specific tasks.

Accountability is the heart of delegation. It must be strictly defined, preferably in writing, so there is no doubt who is responsible for each task.

The five areas to be responsible for are these (your handful of tips):

1. Planning

To solve a problem prepare an action plan.

Prepare a step by step approach by listing who is to do what by when.

A plan is like a journey so make it a SMART journey.  Make it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and completed on Time.

Without a plan you are in trouble. You need a map (plan), resources (a budget), a destination and a schedule and you need to know when you arrive.

2. Organising

Be decisive in your actions. Encourage growth in others.

Avoid taking on too much work.

Identify and support winners.

Trust your feelings and get the information you need then act swiftly.                                                                    

3. Leading

You are only as good as your staff. 

Coach and mentor people in your team.

Make an effort and encourage them by giving them credit for their successes. Give them your full support and guidance.

4. Controlling

Control should be no more than a simple feedback system, concerned with comparison of actual with planned performance.

5. Communicating

Make sure everyone who needs to know does know what is happening and what may happen. Communication is a two way affair so listen careful to what is being said.

Now stop and think. “How well am I doing?” “How could I do better?”

Geoffrey Moss

“The battle cry for any business is performance, productivity and accountability.”