This is the best time in history to be an employee. The information era put negotiating power into the hands of employees providing them leverage in the workplace. Feeling empowered, employees have been asking for more benefits, flexibility, involvement, and collaboration. And they are getting what they want.

The Good News:

HR business partners are gaining influence in persuading the C-suite to invest in the well-being of employees. Today’s new normal includes flexible work models, diverse and inclusive workplaces, opportunities for career growth, and expanded wellness initiatives – all highly valuable to employees.

The Bad News:

C-suite executives are not seeing an equitable return by way of improved accountability and productivity. Despite the additional investments in employees, many believe accountability is getting worse. They are seeing accountability as “fuzzy”. How do we know?

Groundbreaking Research

In early 2024, a Steering Team of 15 organizational leaders guided a research project launched by Good Leadership, an organizational effectiveness firm. The work was designed to discover the success factors for building a culture of healthy accountability in today’s highly flexible and collaborative workforce. The research hypothesis: Healthy Accountability comes from strong interpersonal connections and managers who are skilled at building shared commitments.

The research and Steering Team included:

• Professional services firms, Minnesota-based and across the US
• Companies in healthcare, pharma, and safety net insurance
• Non-profits in human services, children and youth, and education

The starting point: Goodness pays.
Previous Good Leadership research confirmed the financial benefits of leading a business with goodness, defined as: When people thrive together in a culture of encouragement, accountability and positive teamwork. The research built on previous studies which proved goodness pays. In other words, organizational leaders who created a culture of goodness had superior financial performance over those leaders who did not build on a foundation of goodness.

The Steering Team embraced and supported this logic chain:

• You can’t have an effective organization without good leadership
• You can’t have good leadership without goodness
• You can’t have goodness without accountability – it’s the glue for how goodness pays

Dozens of companies, across 21 industries, contributed data through nearly 200 interviews, and 3860 surveys.

So what!? Why should any leader today care about this research? The research clearly showed that the idea that “no one wants to be accountable” is a myth.

Qualitative and quantitative research provides this pragmatic insight:

1. Accountability – or lack thereof – is not a generational problem. 95% of people surveyed care about delivering quality work, on time, regardless of age. People who view accountability as healthy are significantly more likely to take ownership of their work.
2. Greater than 3/4 of people surveyed believe, and see firsthand, how healthy accountability improves business results. The mindset that healthy accountability creates better business results is very positive. And it’s an urgent cry for leaders to improve culture – for the benefit of the business.
3. Sobering reality: Nearly 2/3 of those surveyed perceive accountability to be a
   negative, punitive concept. Most people in organizations do not actively seek personal ownership out of fear of criticism or punishment for making mistakes.
4. More than 1/3 of those surveyed do not believe accountability is consistently and fairly applied throughout their organization. Consistency builds trust. When senior leaders are inconsistent with “who” they reward and “how” they reward them, accountability suffers.
5. What feels most “unhealthy” is lack of clarity over Roles, Goals and Organizational Objectives. What people must have for them to take personal ownership is to know “who” needs to deliver “what” by “when.” It’s what employees crave, and often don’t get.

The research is complete – now what?

Analyzing the data through the lens of organization, team, and individual implications, the intersection of Organization and Team, modeled in The Pathway to Healthy Accountability™ below, includes five crucial indicators required to create an environment where people take personal ownership.

Individuals Seeking Accountability: People take ownership, embrace support, and deliver quality work on time.

Positive Role Modeling at the Top: Senior leaders own their work, consistently deliver on what’s promised, and communicate in ways that inspire others to follow suit.

Select and Promote for Accountability: Organizations prioritize responsibility, teamwork, and commitment to results in aspiring leaders.

Teams Committed to Disciplined Follow Through: Teams prioritize alignment, commitment and healthy tension to deliver quality work, on time, for customers and other teams.

Reward the Growing Edge: Organizations recognize progress, encourage responsible risk taking, and prioritize growth over punishment.

For an executive summary of the research, and to learn more about the simple ways to get started on the Pathway to Healthy Accountability, inquire here: info@goodleadership.com.