Eight steps you can take to create an accountable corporate culture

Accountability is in and not a moment too soon. Certain sectors of the business world had gotten so unaccountable that the government stepped in to force the issue with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

But can accountability really be legislated? Sure, you may follow the rules to avoid going to prison. But consultant Mark Samuel says that true accountability comes from within, not from above.

You can’t impose accountability on others through fear, but you can foster an accountable corporate culture. And the best way to do so is via a "grass roots" effort that begins with a single leader. That’s right––you.

"A corporate culture is simply the collective attitudes and behaviors of employees," said Samuel, who along with Sophie Chiche has written the new book "The Power of Personal Accountability: Achieve What Matters to You," $19.95 (hardcover); $12.95 (softcover).

"To instill accountability in your people you must practice it yourself," he said.

"Get your own house in order first—start holding yourself accountable for your goals and business practices—and you set the stage for others to follow your lead.

"Then, accountability can spread throughout your organization one person at a time."

At its heart, accountability means doing what you say you’re going to do. Simple as it may sound, it’s a concept that strikes fear into the human heart.

Samuel and Chiche say that people resist accountability because of three primary fears: fear of blame ("If it goes wrong, I’ll be held responsible"), fear of failure ("To avoid looking bad, I’ll set my sights low"), and fear of success ("If I accomplish more, I’ll have to maintain a standard of excellence").

These may not sound like fears that typically plague leaders, but Samuel and Chiche insist everyone is susceptible to them.

They offer in their book a thought-provoking how-to guide for breaking what they call the "Victim Loop" and choosing the "Accountability Loop" instead. The result is moving from a way of life and business where "stuff" happens to you without your consent, and stepping into the driver’s seat.

Here are a few of their insights:

Be a victim no more. When things happen to you and you don’t seem to have a choice in the matter, you are a victim. But the unsettling truth is people usually choose to be victims. It’s a mindset.

What Samuel and Chiche call the "Victim Loop" is simply this: when faced with a situation, you ignore, deny, blame, rationalize, resist and ultimately hide.

When things at the office have gotten so out of control that you know the situation must be dealt with—but you claim that you have no idea how—congratulations: you’ve completed the Victim Loop.

You must come to the realization that regardless of what has happened in the past, you can choose what to do next. You can confront the uncooperative employee, or fire the troublemaker, or get rid of the unprofitable client. Breaking free of the victim mindset allows you to move into action.

Take charge of your life. Now that you’ve stopped being a victim, you must clarify what real success looks like to you. How could you possibly move toward a goal until you have identified what that goal is?

Perhaps you want your division to make $10 million in sales this year. Once you have defined and refined your picture of success, put together a list of accountable actions that will take you there.

But beware of one of the surprising pitfalls of accountability: perfectionism. That’s right. If you wait until you have perfected something, you will never move on.

Recognize your current reality.

Call it what it is—whatever it is. Until you know what you are dealing with and are willing to just state it sincerely, you can’t do anything differently.

Sometimes, it just looks really big. When you shine the light on it, it turns out it wasn’t as big as you feared. So, pull out your flashlight and take an objective and unbiased look at where you really are.

Realize that your best thinking brought you to this point—if you had known how to do any of this better, you would have done it better.

You might consider hiring a good coach. He or she can provide an "outsider’s" look at your situation and can help guide you to achieve your goals.

Own your part

In order to change the reality you live in, it needs to be your reality. Since you are the creator of the original situation, you can create a different one.

And consider this: when you own something, you are much more likely to respect it. When was the last time you took a rental car through the car wash? When you are working on a project with other people, assume 100 percent of the ownership in your own mind.

Don’t become a powermonger, or a martyr who takes all the blame, or a sidestepper who takes none of the blame. Find a good balance of responsibilities, while keeping in mind that at the end of the day, what needs to be done, needs to be done.

Give the gift of forgiveness

Once you have recognized the reality of what you are dealing with and owned the part you have played to get there, forgiveness is your way out. Not an excuse to do something that didn’t work again, but an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and give it another shot.

Forgiveness is not a substitute for corrective action, but a way to come to the action in a more creative, caring way.

Samuel tells a story about coaching one of his associates who would stop periodically during the session and "forgive himself" for self-criticisms.

This helped him become calm, open, and ready to hear more feedback on the next section of the training program. The next week, he gave a fantastic presentation that led to five additional training programs. Such is the power of self-forgiveness.

Practice the art of self-examination

This is the turning point. From here, you can start creating your new life. It’s time to get rid of your automatic pilot syndrome—Samuel and Chiche’s term for thinking, doing, and/or feeling the same things over and over-and start making deliberate, healthful choices.

You may feel that you have no control over your circumstances, and it’s certainly true that you can’t control other people.

But what you can control is how you respond and react. Ask yourself: how might I have created, promoted, or allowed the situation I am in?

If you suspected a colleague was diverting funds and you said nothing, then you did play a role in the scandal. It you turn a deaf ear to harmful gossip, then you did play a role in a good employee’s decision to leave. When you admit your role in any dysfunctional situation, you set the stage to take productive action next time.

Be a master learner.

Seize the opportunity and let yourself be transformed. Think differently. If what you did in a previous situation didn’t work out, the process of learning guarantees you will proceed differently next time.

Be aware, however, of the traps that get in the way of learning: perhaps you feel attached to the old way, or you tried it before and failed, or you feel that you have to have absolute proof that it will work before you try it.

Be completely open to learning. Leave your ego at the door. Too often, highly successful business leaders are so attached to their old techniques—the ones that brought them accolades and wealth—that they simply aren’t willing to try something new.

But to be a master learner, you must approach new situations with fresh eyes. By starting each day with the attitude that he knows nothing, the "old dog" can learn new tricks.

Take action

There is a direct relationship between your career as a whole and all the actions you take every hour of every work day. To like your work life—the sum of your actions while "on the clock" (and often, off the clock as well)—you have to like each action individually.

Take small, manageable actions consistent with your desired outcome. The steps should be large enough to take you beyond your comfort zone but not so large that they paralyze you. Keep moving toward your goal. Reach out for help when you need it.

Finally, have a recovery plan. If there’s one certainty in business and in life it’s that things will not go according to plan. So, figure out what you’ll do when you get off course—as long as you recommit yourself to your goal, you will be able to recover from your mistakes.

Ultimately, say Samuel and Chiche, there is no difference between accountability at work and accountability at home. You are the same person both places.

Once you’ve mastered the art of holding yourself accountable, rewards will naturally flow into every part of your life.

"When you commit to accountability, everything else falls into place," says Chiche. "Yes, an accountable culture helps your organization become stronger, more adaptable, more financially sound.

"But just as important, your relationships at work and at home become deeper, more honest, more fulfilling. Accountability unleashes your creativity and expands your ability to love and be loved. The accountable person knows that anything is possible in business and in life—and is not afraid to get out there and achieve it."

About the Authors:

Mark Samuel is the president and founder of IMPAQ, a worldwide consulting firm focusing on individual and business accountability, and the nationally acclaimed author of The Accountability Revolution: Achieve Breakthrough Results in Half the Time! He has been featured in Fortune magazine as a top authority on "how companies can end blame in the ranks, and create a place where people want to work and get results" and has appeared on Bloomberg and CNBC.

Considered a practical visionary by Fortune 500 companies, Samuel teaches organizations how to thrive in the competitive twenty-first century global marketplace through results-oriented management based upon the practice of accountability.

As an award-winning speaker, Samuel has been guiding organizations worldwide to higher levels of sustainable success through his innovative accountability-based programs for twenty-two years. Samuel has a bachelor’s in Social Science, a master’s in Management with special emphasis in Organizational Development, and a master’s in Applied Psychology.

Sophie Chiche is the chief operating officer of IMPAQ, and is firmly committed to the principles of personal and team accountability. She also acts as the creative advisor of the development of IMPAQ’s image, drawing from her diverse and highly accomplished artistic background.

Before joining IMPAQ, Chiche served as the U.S. correspondent for the European publication Psychologies Magazine. Her ability to capture the essence of personal accountability and relay it to her audience is unsurpassed. Chiche has a bachelor’s in Business and a master’s in Applied Psychology.