Reframing accountability for organisational success

• Regulatory Compliance: Keeping up with changing regulations while maintaining transparency. 
• Drug Development: Managing risks in developing safe and effective medicines. 
• Ethics: Prioritising patient welfare and ethical standards. 
• Data Integrity and Cybersecurity: Protecting sensitive information from cyber threats 

Building a culture of accountability is crucial yet it’s often linked to language that infers blame and punishment, fostering fear and defensiveness among teams. This can lead to apathy and prioritising individual achievements over team success, especially during times of change. 

Accountability involves teams owning both outputs and outcomes together. To create a culture of accountability that teams can connect with, leaders should emphasise collaboration, transparency, and ethical behaviour. Here are some concrete actions that can help: 

• Promote cross functional collaboration. Encourage collaboration across departments to ensure that accountability is shared and collective efforts are aligned towards common goals.  
• Create a safe environment. Foster a culture where team members feel safe to admit failures early, share their learnings and collaborate on finding solutions without fear of penalty. 
• Lead by example. Prioritise integrity in decision-making and role model ethical behaviour to set the tone for accountability throughout the organisation.  
• Provide support. Invest in the skills development of teams to foster a culture of accountability at all levels  
• Enhance transparency. Leverage technology that provide greater transparency.  
• Reinforce behaviours: Consistently reinforce the value of accountability in driving business performance, embedding it into everyday ways of working.  

If you’re interested in exploring how we could help your organisation reframe accountability to drive success, please get in touch.