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High Performance – High Fun!
How Driving Accountability in the Workplace Brings Passionate People to Life
Introduction: the purpose of this paper
A culture of accountability within the workplace can feel threatening both to organizations and to individuals within organizations. Yet implemented
carefully, it opens up opportunities for higher productivity and greater job satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to ex plore the commonly held
conceptions and misconceptions surrounding accountability, and to suggest ways in which organizations might marry the two dif ferent, but often confused
notions of accountability and responsibility in order to create a positive culture of accountability.
High Performance – High Fun; The official and unofficial mantra of many organizations;butwhatdoes it really mean?
Is it an alternative way of saying “laboris gloria ludi?” (work hard play hard) - a philosophythat is often confused with it
being acceptable to be late in the bar at conference as long as you are up and at work on time the next day. Sitting in
the back of the room with your breath mints and your bottle of water really wishing you were somewhere else…buthey,
at leastyou turned up. You can always be counted on to work hard and play hard…
Or is it the practice of taking the pressure offthe intense projector work stream by building decompression moments
into the cycle, like extra-curricular team building activities,bowling or golfcompetitions as well as dinners and other
social events? Or is it simplyaboutbeing able to define yourself by another life, outside ofwork?
The first two notions are commonlyheld,although manyorganizations now look more towards modern enlighte ned
philosophies thatsupportthe third notion of working smarter notharder,and managing your health and energy better
than your time, but for sure there is a case for social,fun-based activities as a basis for building trustand engagement
between colleagues who rarelysee each other outside oftheir daily functional role.
However, if you really want to drive high fun and passion in the work place then setup an effective system of
accountabilityto measure performance and take effective supportive,corrective action when it does notreach the
required standards.
Understanding the crucial role of accountability, and using itas the engine to drive an execution culture is probably the
bestkept secretof the mostsuccessful top line leaders.
What is accountability and how does it differ from responsibility?
This is a hugely grey area, and sometimes the understandable reason behind whyorganizations have low
accountabilitycultures.They simplydo not know corporately or individuallythe difference between being responsible for
something,and being accountable for it. The words accountable and responsible are often interchanged.Below are a
couple of definitions ofaccountability.
1. The obligation ofan individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibilityfor them,and to
disclose the results in a transparent manner.
2. The quality or state of being accountable;especiallyan obligation or willingness to acceptresponsibilityor to
accountfor one's actions
The word ‘accountability’ does notappear in English until the 13th
century and is a derivative of the Latin accomptare (to
account). The conceptof account giving however goes back to ancientBabylon and Egypt.
Whilstdefinitions ofaccountabilitycan appear daunting,the conceptbecomes clearer,and manageable within a work
context, once you see it in relation to responsibility.In ethics and governance,accountabilityis answerability,
blameworthiness,and liability.acknowledgmentand assumption ofresponsibilityfor actions, products,decisions,and
policies including the administration,governance,and implementation within the scope of the role or employment
position and encompassing the obligation to report,explain and be answerable for resulting consequences
You can delegate responsibility,but you can't delegate accountabilityto anyone. If someone gives you a job to do, you
can get someone else to do it, but you are still accountable to produce the results and to explain the methodologies
used to pursue the results.If the job isn't done rightthe only person to look to is you, because even though you've
delegated the responsibility,you are still accountable for the outcome.

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One can delegate responsibility to an SVP of Sales for hiring a sales force that will be highly trained, experienced and
efficient in order that the firm hit the budgeted quota.One can also hold him or her accountable for executing certain
strategies,tactics and behaviors.
Accountability in the work place
One way to get a feel for accountabilityin the workplace is to look at a culture that doesn’thave any. It will tend to have
the look and feel of a country club rather than a high performing sports team or militaryunit.
A blind eye is turned to excessive or inappropriate behaviors.People are allowed to sayand do things thatfeed the lack
of execution culture rather than drive it out - not justaround performance metrics and KPIs but around non-exemplary
behavior misaligned with the corporate leadership values.Favoritism,nepotism,and cronyism abound,and good quality
‘A’ workers thatcrave the exact opposite environmentleave the organization.Furthermore,external top talent won’t
join,and existing potential talenteither becomes institutionalized and therefore oblivious,or ‘pressured’ into
compromising their own values for the sake of keeping the peace,and sometimes their jobs.Peer to peer feedback is at
bestshallow and lacking insightor at worstnon-existent.Good feedback is metwith excuses and justification,(Imeant
to do that…BUT…), indifference,or hostilityand aggression.The people thatare performing become increasingly
frustrated with the acceptance of mediocrityand complacency.
Expressions like “he’s had a tough time the lastfew years” or “leave Bob alone,he gave me my first start in this
organization” are often heard as people focus on the pastrather than the presentor the future. There is confusion
between holding someone accountable for notbeing an excellent ambassador for your firm,and throwing them under
the bus.
The business maywell have been relatively successful for a period of time,especiallyifmarketor financial conditions
were favourable, but the performance is rarelysustainable in more challenging times,and the sins ofthe pastare often
uncovered.
‘Good’ performers,who were notheld accountable for their processes or methodologies in the fat times,find that they
have to work very hard justto stand still in the lean times.As no-one ever challenged and coached them on working in
a better more smartway before, all they know is to chase and push and putin more hours.
In addition,the organization simplydoes notperform to its potential and a few superhero leaders who reallyare trying to
do the right thing become overwhelmed and stressed outas they take on more and more responsibilities in order to
carry the full burden of accountabilityon behalfof everyone else.
On the other hand,an organization that has got it right looks quite different.
Engendering a culture of accountabilityenables a leader to create trust and ownership for the organization at all levels.
People feel responsible and therefore become accountable for themselves and the wider greater good of the firm.
Everyone takes 100% responsibilityfor delivering great service and never blames the weather,the traffic, the boss or
the system for not giving their very besteach and every day.
There are no excuses,no sloping shoulders and no blame culture.
Crucially, it allows the senior team to explore some fundamental questions integral to the success ofthe organization.
i. Are we going in the right direction?
ii. Do we have the rightpeople on the bus to get us there?
iii. Are we achieving the goals thatwill enable us to execute the strategy?
iv. How do we develop a culture in which all employees clearlyunderstand their role,how to succeed in it, and
where to go for supportto develop and improve their performance?
v. What systems do we have in place to ensure thatindividuals,and the contribution they make, are valued and
seen to be valued?
Accountability can be a highly positive experience for a leader,their team,and the firm at large, which is contrary to the
notion that accountabilityconnotes something “negative.”
Accountability can provide opportunities to coach someone counsel thatperson and enable growth.It also provides
leaders with the chance to develop their own skills,such as learning how to have difficultconversations aboutpoor
performance.Accountabilityprovides the chance for all to improve upon their weaknesses and position and propel a
business toward a place ofprosperity. It’s this uplifting,highlypositive and evolutionary experience that creates passion
in the workplace.
Ten top tips on accountability

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1. Organization owners,leaders and managers often fall into the trap of confusing accountabilitywith not being
liked.It is importantto find the balance between being an approachable,amenable leader and getting too
close to people.
2. Focus on respectnotfriendship.When it comes to creating high performance and high fun, your job is to
evoke loyalty to the organization NOT to you.
3. Avoid complacencyat all costs;it is especiallydifficultin the fat times to continuallydeep dive into how things
are getting done,but doing the right thing when business is good will be an investmentthatwill reap benefits in
the leaner times.Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.
4. Ensure that folk consistentlysetgood goals at all levels of the organization,and follow up on the m
continuously.Be there to praise and supportrather than to control and micro-manage…butbe there none the
less!
5. Focus on the vital few objectives, not the trivial many when setting organizational and departmental goals.
Keep away from huge wish lists.The mostimportantthing is to keep the mostimportantthing the most
importantthing
6. Work hard to remove a NIMBY (not in my back yard) culture. Too often managers and leaders will justifywhy
they have not approached a colleague aboutcomplacent performance with reasons /excuses,such as ‘they
are not in their own managementline’,or ‘they have nothing to do with my project’.A good sports team has
leaders everywhere on the pitch and all of them are willing to confrontwhen required.
7. Foster an organization where candour is appreciated and rewarded.Be transparent,honestand respectful in
communications.Help and train people to be able to say it how it is and call people out withoutfear of
recrimination.Trusteach other.
8. Don’twait to innovate. If you feel that something needs to be addressed don’twaituntil that behavior is
entrenched.Pick the rightmomentfor the rightreason and have the conversation.
9. Give your performance reviews and your performance review system teeth!Link these conversations to real
reward and recognition (notjust monetary) and offer tangible developmentopportunities.The system ofyearly
and half yearly reviews mustnot be a ‘tick box’ exercise.
10. Make sure you have a leadership pipeline and succession plan thatcompletelybuys into accountability.It
starts at the top. Senior leaders and managers mustsetthe tone with their skills and attitudes.A fish rots from
the head down.
Nick Girling
Owner and Director
Nick Girling Associates Limited
nickg@nickgirlingassociates.com
+44 7900 564879
About the author
Nick has spent the last twelve years consulting with, coaching and training leadership teams across the globe. His experience ranges
from working with independent startups, to organizations like Wartsila, Google, PitneyBowes, Roche and Smith & Nephew.
Helping organizations drive change through motivated accountable people iswhere he is happiest, apart from when he is at home in
Yorkshire England being held accountable byhis fantasticwife and two beautiful children!