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The Power of Accountability: It's the backbone of team success.

Have you ever watched a dance performance where the dancers weren’t in sync or the flow was sloppy?  Dancers need to know their routine inside out and practice, so they execute it with precision and unity. In a similar way, a high-performing team is like a dance troupe—each individual’s commitment to their role and the team goal, ensures the work flows seamlessly. When every team member owns their responsibilities, and works towards the common goal, the group becomes greater than the sum of its parts.



Effective leaders understand that their teams will thrive and hold each other to account once given the structure and clarity to perform.  Without it, even the most talented teams can falter, miss their goals and experience diminished connection.

Key Benefits of Accountability Include:
  • Achieving Shared Goals: Clear ownership ensures that every task contributes to a unified objective.
  • Building Trust: When everyone does their part, it reinforces confidence in the team.
  • Support and Collaboration: Accountability opens doors for peer learning and mutual support, creating a space where team members can lean on each other to overcome obstacles.
  • Clear Standards and Boundaries: Defined expectations reduce ambiguity, fostering consistent performance.
  • Strengthening Team Culture: A culture of shared responsibility aligns values and promotes commitment to the cause.

A culture of accountability builds trust among the team – everyone knows that everyone will do their part.”

Chris Richardson, a software architect and entrepreneur recognized as a Java Champion.


Despite all these benefits, the practical nature of holding people to account often entails having difficult conversations and statistically 3 out of 4 people prefer to avoid conflict. The impact of not holding people to account, could result in even the most promising teams spiralling into dysfunction. Goals remain unmet, individuals fall short of their responsibilities, and disappointment seeps into the group dynamic. Over time, this erodes morale, causing disengagement and weakening the very foundation of the team.
 
A 2023 Forbes article revealed the depth of the issue:
  • 80% of managers struggle to hold others accountable.
  • 91% of employees identify accountability as a top leadership development need.
 
This disconnect can create a ripple effect, as demonstrated in the infamous NASA Challenger disaster.

In 1986, the Challenger space shuttle tragedy highlighted the devastating impact of accountability gaps. Engineers identified critical flaws in the O-ring seals, but these concerns were overshadowed by pressure to meet deadlines and a lack of transparent communication. The organizational culture at NASA at the time suffered from:
  • Ambiguity in decision-making accountability.
  • Poor communication between management and technical teams and
  • An overemphasis on schedules at the expense of safety.

The result was catastrophic—a stark reminder of the stakes involved when accountability is neglected.
 
In the aftermath of the Challenger disaster, NASA implemented sweeping reforms to restore trust and prioritize safety:
  1. Restructuring Organizational Roles:
    • Created the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance to centralize accountability for safety protocols.
  2. Encouraging Open Communication:
    • Empowered engineers to report safety concerns directly to decision-makers without fear of reprisal.
  3. Enhancing Training Programs:
    • Focused on ethical decision-making and embedding accountability into leadership practices.
  4. Seeking External Expertise:
    • Engaged independent experts to evaluate internal processes and recommend improvements.
  5. Redefining Culture:
    • Senior leaders modelled accountability by owning mistakes and fostering a blame-free environment focused on learning.
 
These changes had transformative results. By 1988, NASA returned to space with the successful launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, showcasing their renewed commitment to accountability.
 
Lessons for Leaders
NASA’s journey underscores the importance of embedding accountability into every layer of an organization. Accountability is not about blame—it’s about ownership, transparency, and a commitment to shared success.

"Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”  Steve Jobs

Here are 5 top questions to stimulate your thinking:

1.    Am I demonstrating accountability in my actions and decisions?
2.    Have I articulated clear goals for my team / direct reports?
3.    Am I providing sufficient feedback, coaching and communication to my team?
4.    How is performance measured against goals?
5.    Have I missed opportunities to celebrate or acknowledge wins?

Conclusion
Accountability is the backbone of high-performing teams. It builds trust, drives results, and strengthens connections. While the absence of accountability can have dire consequences, as seen in NASA’s history, fostering a culture of ownership and transparency can lead to extraordinary achievements.
 
As a leader, creating this culture requires intention, courage, and a long-term commitment to growth. It starts with one small step: owning your role in the team’s success. From there, the dance of accountability flows, ensuring everyone is in sync and every goal is within reach.  


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