Fostering Accountability in the Workplace

Ask 50 different people what it means to have an accountable workforce, and you could very well get 50 different answers, covering the gamut from creating well-defined job descriptions and establishing measurable goals to promoting only deserving employees and developing clearly outlined punishment for on-the-job failures. What's not in dispute is the harm wrought by lack of accountability — things like ineffective work practices, quality control issues, high employee turnover, and customers lost due to poor service. In fact, a Gallup poll estimates that the lost productivity that stems from disengaged and unaccountable employees costs American businesses between $287 and $370