Accountability
"Accountability is a statement of personal promise, both to yourself
and to the people around you, to deliver specific defined results."
~ Brian Dive
Accountability
"Accountability is the cornerstone of personal and professional success. It is the ability to take responsibility for our actions, decisions, and behaviors, and to accept the consequences that come with them. The power of accountability lies in its ability to help us achieve our goals, build better relationships, and become more successful in our personal and professional lives."
Source: The Power of Accountability: Why Taking Responsibility is Key to Personal and Professional Success
WE EARN TRUST
We strive to earn the trust of the public, the scientific community, our stakeholders, and each other by safeguarding our record of excellence, integrity, safety, openness, reliability, and accountability.
Components of Accountability in the Workplace
Honesty: Be honest with yourself and others.
Vulnerability: Employees feel comfortable admitting their mistakes without fear of repercussion. They ask for help when needed and take responsibility for their own success.
Learn from Mistakes: When mistakes happen, take the time to reflect on what went wrong and identify ways to avoid making the same mistake in the future.
Communicate Openly: When communicating with others, be transparent about your actions and decisions.
Psychological Safety: Employees feel safe enough to have difficult or challenging conversations or give feedback and they feel responsible for maintaining and fostering positive workplace relationships.
Be proactive: Instead of waiting for others on the team or in the organization to solve a problem, take initiative to seek solutions.
Act with Integrity: Take your projects, deadlines, and work relationships seriously. Complete tasks when you say you will and if you can’t, then communicate the changes with your team and supervisors.
Emotional intelligence: Build your capacity to be aware of your own emotions and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically without blaming others.
Clear Goals and Expectations: Setting clear goals and expectations can help to provide a path to a successful outcome. When we know what is expected of us, it is easier to hold ourselves accountable for our actions.
Quick Reads:
10 Ways To Nurture A Culture Of Accountability So DEI Can Thrive - Forbes
Fostering Accountability in the Workplace: Examples and Tips - Better Works
How to Actually Encourage Employee Accountability - Harvard Business Review
Hold Your Team Accountable with Compassion, Not Fear - Harvard Business Review
Deep Dives:
Mind the Gap - The Essential Guide to Workplace Accountability
Stewart VR, Snyder DG, Kou CY. We Hold Ourselves Accountable: A Relational View of Team Accountability. J Bus Ethics. 2023;183(3):691-712.
Latessa, R.A., Galvin, S.L., Swendiman, R.A. et al. Psychological safety and accountability in longitudinal integrated clerkships: a dual institution qualitative study. BMC Med Educ 23, 760 (2023).
IDEA Accountability
"Accountability in DEI initiatives encompasses the commitment to actively address systemic biases, promote equitable practices, and foster inclusive environments within an organization. It entails holding oneself and others answerable for the outcomes and impact of DEI efforts. This accountability extends throughout all tiers of an organization, from leadership to front-line employees, highlighting collective responsibility towards nurturing diversity and inclusion."
IDEA Accountability Actions
Be Proactive:
Find opportunities to engage with the Lab’s IDEA efforts through self learning, presentations, talks, and events. Share what you learn with teammates and colleagues. Examine your systems and processes and create change when needed.
Encourage Engagement:
If you’re a manager or supervisor, encourage your employees to take time to learn about IDEA at the Lab or attend seminars and events of interest. Add an IDEA topic to your regular meetings and share learning opportunities with your team.
Embed IDEA into the Everyday:
Make IDEA a regular part of your systems, operations, meetings, and projects. Review your hiring and promotion practices - how can you reduce bias and make them more equitable? Develop group norms. Make your meetings inclusive and accessible. Foster belonging and inclusion on your team. Encourage workplace civility. Be an ally.
Encourage IDEA Accountability:
Make IDEA part of everyone’s goals and performance metrics. Encourage employees to add their IDEA participation to the IDEA section of the PMP.
LinkedIn Learning Shorts
To access LinkedIn Learning courses, sign in with your Berkeley Lab ID/Password
LinkedIn Learning Full Courses
Individual Accountability for Equity and Inclusion (59 min)
In this course, Dr. Nika White explains the importance of individual accountability in creating equitable and inclusive workspaces, regardless of your organizational role. She starts with the basics and then explains how you can equip yourself to accept individual accountability, including how to educate yourself and others, examine your own privilege, and own the impact of your actions.
Accountability for Leaders: Navigating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (47 min)
Find out how to drive meaningful change in DEI initiatives. Explore ways to build an accountability framework for DEI and learn the key components of an effective DEI accountability. Go over how to tailor accountability frameworks to organizational goals, as well as strategies for setting and tracking measurable DEI goals.
Self Reflection
This self assessment from the University of Alabama gives you an opportunity to reflect on your accountability skills.
Remember, this is a tool not a test. It's designed to help you identify areas of strength and areas that need further development. We're all learning - don't forget to give yourself grace when you take the self-assessment.