Creating A Culture Of Accountability

Unfortunately, far too many people don’t like where they work. Some organizations are unhealthy and full of disrespectful behavior. Other workplaces are simply uninspiring. For various reasons, countless people feel trapped, indifferent, or bored at work. The authors of this book believe that people should be able to like where they work. When employees like the places they work, it’s not only good for their mental health and well-being, it’s also good for their organizations – both financially and otherwise. When a workplace culture is purposely created to be respectful and inspiring, employees are happier, more productive, and more engaged. By exploring six key elements that make up a healthy workplace culture, The Culture Question answers two fundamental questions: “How does your organization’s culture impact how much people like where they work?” and “What can you do to make it better?” Discover how to create a workplace where people like to work by focusing on these six elements of healthy workplace culture: Communicating Your Purpose and Values. Employees are inspired when they work in organizations whose purpose and values resonate with them. Providing Meaningful Work. Most employees want to work on projects that inspire them, align with what they are good at, and allow them to grow. Focusing Your Leadership Team on People. How leaders relate to their employees plays a major role in how everyone feels about their workplace. Building Meaningful Relationships. When employees like the people they work with and for, they are more satisfied and more engaged in their work. Creating Peak Performing Teams. People are energized when they work together effectively because teams achieve things that no one person could do on their own. Practicing Constructive Conflict Management. When leaders don’t handle conflict promptly and well, it quickly sours the workplace. This book includes survey feedback from over 2,400 leaders and employees and resources for putting these ideas into action.

Regardless of industry, leadership tenure, culture or geography, my coaching colleagues and I routinely observe a lack of accountability as a foundational obstacle to profitable growth and scale in small and middle-market firms. The best strategies and market opportunities in the world mean nothing if you're not able to execute your plans and get things done. Effective execution starts with crisp accountability, and you cannot scale your business without it. A culture of crisp, rigorous accountability enables effective execution, retains high performers, repels low performers and improves the sense of collaboration, winning and fun in your business. This cycle drives a significantly higher employee ROI, giving you more resources and flexibility to scale-ultimately propelling you to attain your most ambitious professional and personal aspirations. With these outcomes in mind, the need to improve accountability in almost every organization is clear. This book will show you how.

Creating The Accountability Culture: The Science of Life Changing Leadership takes a close look at the challenges facing business today which demand higher productivity, improved efficiency, and increased employee engagement. The author proposes an entirely new way of building corporate culture to address these issues. Tools and techniques designed to shift our present culture to one of full accountability and responsibility are at the heart of this work...Utilization of new sciences help to inform and provide a platform for the unique tools and techniques that, when practiced, consistently create an accountability culture that is life-changing for leaders, their teams and their organizations as a whole. This work introduces, for the first time, the Accountability Model, which outlines a simple yet highly effective roadmap for culture shift, which, in turn transforms lives and facilitates achievement of corporate goals. Creating capacity, improved productivity and profits in our organizations are grounded in a full understanding of what it is to be human and our ability to access all of the gifts and talents that this encompasses. This approach is not for the faint of heart and requires courage and commitment however the results are astounding when the tools are consistently practiced.

It’s an insidious disease that is crippling companies, destroying our economy, and crushing potential. It’s infecting the very roots of business performance, and it’s spreading fast. It isn’t the recession, market volatility, scandal, or greed. It’s entitlement. And it may be killing your business. In myriad ways, entitlement has been cultivated for decades. As a result, too many employees today believe that they are entitled to a paycheck simply because they show up. Brad Hams has proven that we are not doomed to a path of entitlement and dependence. After more than 15 years working with hundreds of companies, he knows that the vast majority of employees addicted to entitlement actually want to engage, want to contribute, and feel much better about themselves when they are in an environment that requires them to do so. Now, with Ownership Thinking, Hams shares his strategy that will increase your company’s productivity, employee retention, and profitability: The Right Education: Teach employees the fundamentals of business and finance, how their company makes money, and how they add—or take away—value. The Right Measures: Identify the organization’s Key Performance Indicators and teach employees to forecast results in an environment of high visibility and accountability. The Right Incentives: Create incentive plans that are self-funding and clearly align employees’ behavior to the organization’s business and financial objectives. Your employees will learn to think and act like owners and will become active participants in the financial performance of the business. They will gain the self-esteem that is only possible through achievement and will reap rewards that are in alignment with the success of their organization. Meanwhile, you will enjoy your role more, sleep better at night, and leave a legacy that is far more inspiring and significant than you dreamed possible. Praise for Ownership Thinking “You would have to read a dozen other books to even come close to Ownership Thinking—a systematic and practical process for getting your employees to give that extra effort and brain power we know they possess.” —Verne Harnish, CEO, Gazelles; author, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits “Brad Hams tells it like it truly is: transparency creates trust; trust creates engagement; engagement creates a healthy enterprise. This thoughtful and practical book shows you how to achieve all of these things and more.” —Chip Conley, founder and executive chair, Joie de Vivre; author, Peak “Comprehensive and marvelously clear, Ownership Thinking’s techniques for creating change are focused, direct, and motivating. This is a wise book, unusually useful, and I recommend it most highly.” —Judith M. Bardwick, Ph.D., author, Danger in the Comfort Zone and The Psychological Recession “Brad Hams is one of the most persuasive and creative thinkers I know. His book is a specific guide you can (and should) implement now.” —Corey Rosen, founder, National Center for Employee Ownership “Hams is masterful at outlining the engagement practices that inspire people to care and to be deeply vested in business results.” —Jim Haudan, CEO, Root Learning; author, The Art of Engagement “Hams’ book is like a candid conversation with a wise friend. . . . A ‘must read’ for any business leader wanting to create a culture of ownership.” —Dean Schroeder, author, Ideas Are Free

More and more managerial challenges require leaders to be accountable-to take initiative without having full authority for the process or the outcomes. Accountability goes beyond responsibility. Whereas responsibility is generally delegated by the boss, the organization, or by virtue of position, accountability is having an intrinsic sense of ownership of the task and the willingness to face the consequences that come with success or failure. Through this guidebook you will learn how your organization and its leaders can create a culture that fosters accountability by focusing on five areas: support, freedom, information, resources, and goal and role clarity.

Best practices for using accountability, trust, and purpose to turn your long-term vision into reality Accountability explains why the “carrot-and-stick” approach doesn’t work—and describes how to build and sustain a culture based on shared beliefs, positive action, and internal leadership development. The author’s conclusions are based on data resulting from his work with more than 3,000 executives worldwide, plus exclusive interviews with Fortune's Most Admired Companies and Best Places to Work. Greg Bustin has written a monthly bulletin about leadership and accountability that goes to more than 4,000 managers/executives. He speaks about 50 times per year in the U.S., Canada, and the UK and is one of the top-rated Vistage speakers. He also gives workshops and webinars on planning, execution, and accountability to business owners and leaders in the U.S. and Canada.

Leadership development consultant Michael Timms has discovered three powerful habits that not only make one a better leader, but also encourage those they lead to take greater accountability themselves. Using a compelling combination of teaching principles and illustrations backed by loads of scientific studies, Timms reveals three habits of personal accountability that are easy to implement and which can instantly begin transforming positional leaders into true leaders who inspire everyone to take more accountability for results.

"Looking to achieve greater results by creating a high-accountability culture in your organization? This book shows you how! By implementing this Accountability process, you can take your team to new levels of excellence. The practical methods outlined in this book will guide you to increase your personal and organization's success"--Book cover