Fix It

Living “Above the Line”

Widespread disengagement, complacency and a general lack of responsibility and ownership in the workplace are reaching crisis levels. Developing “Accountability” is the first, fastest path to solving this crisis. Don’t institute the kind of accountability that assigns blame and creates a climate of fear. Instead, inculcate the type of accountability in which people lead, own problems and take action to solve them. This “Above the Line” behavior leads to solid results. Most people live and operate “Below the Line” most of the time. They do the minimum, grow complacent, make excuses, blame other people and wait for someone to tell them what to do. When companies fail to address accountability, people point fingers and place blame. To create an accountability culture that leads to greater trust, higher engagement and better outcomes, start by understanding what traits constitute accountability and how to embed it in your firm.

“The 16 Accountability Traits”

Successful people, teams, and organizations practice 16 identifiable accountability traits. More than 40,000 professionals contributed to polls spanning a three-year period to report...