The Accountability Dilemma

One of the buzzwords throughout the media and social media platforms is ‘accountability.’ It seems as though there is incredible frustration with our expectations of others to be ‘accountable’ for their actions or choices or comments………you name it!

Somewhere in our upbringing, we realized that we were responsible for our actions, choices, and words, and we may have to account for them. That accounting may have been to parents, teachers, coaches, or even a friend. The point is from early on, it was impressed that accounting was tied to responsibility, and in most cases, it was viewed from a negative perspective.

Today it is viewed from a perspective of frustration as it appears there are those that answer to no one, or in other words, are not held accountable. Perhaps it is a politician whose actions are not consistent with their promises or words. Or perhaps it is an executive that appears to be ‘above’ the policies and procedures they expect their employees to abide by.

Regardless of what causes this accountability frustration, the real question is “what is the impact” of a lack of accountability within an organization? Or perhaps more directly related to frustration, “what is the impact to the organization when its leaders are not accountable for their actions”?

The answer to both of these questions is directly related to the concept of trust. With trust in an organization, its members thrive. Without trust, they often barely survive. If all of this is true, then perhaps the accountability dilemma is more than just frustration. Perhaps it is directly related to organizational creativity and productivity, directly impacting the bottom line as well as the cultural health of the organization.

Suppose this frustration of ‘one-way’ accountability is the problem. in that case, the media and social media suggest, we must look for an approach to address this hypocrisy in leadership not only to address the frustrations within the organization but for the survival of it as well.

The concept of Mutual Accountability may be the answer where there is a ‘two-way’ approach in that the parties involved hold each other accountable, being “intimately aware of the effects of their actions on one another, holding each other accountable for progress and outcomes.”