Accountability is a noun which means "the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable" as per the dictionary definition. Does "Accountability" & "Responsibility" mean the same?. Well, there are differences and one of the main difference is "Responsibility" can be shared, however "Accountability" cannot be."Responsibility" is when somebody says " I have given you a task and you are responsible for the delivery of the task".
On similar note "Accountability" is the sense of ownership of the outcome beyond the task like the result.In today's context, there is a concept of "Shared Accountability" is when all team members are responsible for team outcomes, not just the leader or manager, typically in an ideal "Agile" team. The culture of "Accountability" is important as people become problem solvers and the problem are opportunities for learning. The focus is on "What is Wrong" rather than "Who is" is more important. I must say this culture emphasizes more based on fact finding rather that fault finding. Trust & Cooperation go a long way with the intent to take calculated risks and freely innovate with the future in mind.
So to create a "culture of accountability" is everyone's responsibility. Lack of accountability does lead to low team morale, lower levels of trust and teams becoming less engaged. Its important to make accountability a habit. In a culture of responsibility, yes individuals do feel motivated to work to complete the task at hand rather than the outcome. I don't want to complicate it by adding an element of fear in this.
One of the "Accountability" frameworks I have used in the past is called the RACI Matrix :
Responsible: Individuals who are responsible for completing the task at hand.
Accountable: Individual who is ultimately accountable for the completion of the task or deliverable.
Consulted: These individuals are typically the subject-matter experts on the task at hand.
Informed: Individuals who are kept informed of progress at each stage of the project and usually done in the form of one-way communication.
There are so many benefits of this matrix, but would like to mention it does establish clear lines of communication and does reduce duplication of efforts.
"A culture of Accountability" drives "Effective Leadership", It starts with values of "Honesty", the ability to say "I'm Sorry" voluntarily, seeking inputs from all in a bid to ensure things go well in the future and ensuring in being responsible rather than avoiding "Responsibility".
Even though I write about "Accountability" here as a Leader there is a fine balance between "Accountability" and "Responsibility" that one as a leader should strike a right balance of.
Stay tuned for more thoughts!
