Accountability is something that tends to come naturally to the entrepreneur in his or her own business. However, to implement a culture of accountability is not so easy.
The main reason is because the entrepreneur owns and runs the business – everything is his or hers. That includes taking credit when a big deal is closed, or putting out fires when that yelling important client is angry.
Embedding a culture of accountability in an entrepreneurial business is a process.
It starts with individuals feeling a sense of ownership in their jobs, and then a sense of ownership in the business.
When there is ownership in a job, it doesn’t really matter whose business it is, the person responsible and ultimately accountable for finishing off a specific piece of work remains responsible through to the end.
When it comes to feeling a sense of ownership in a business, here the entrepreneur needs to be instrumental in ‘sharing’ the business. By making people feel that the company is ‘ours’, the clients are ‘ours’ and the successes are ‘ours’, accountability also becomes a culture of ‘ours’. There needs to be a zero tolerance for blame, and an embracing of ‘failing forward’ – growth from mistakes.
Accountability is an invaluable culture. Once an entrepreneur has embedded this in the business, each employee in the business builds feels empowered to grow their section and develop the company as a whole.
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