• Employees are delegated responsibilities, but not the commensurate authority in order to effectively perform such responsibilities.

• Accountability issues are not dealt with decisively which nullifies management’s declaration of being serious about accountability.

• When performance falters, the search is on for whose to blame

Bringing accountability back into the organisation

Requiring employees to commit seppuku is certainly not the answer. It has already been said that accountability cannot be delegated, so whatever remedy a manager is going to seek to re- establish accountability in the organisation, personal ownership will remain a core element thereof. The risk of personal loss will be real if the remedy is poor.

Personal loss can include a verbal or written warning, demotion, no promotion, transfer, no bonus, no salary increase, having to give up certain job

responsibilities and perks associated with position, unpaid leave and even dismissal. On the other hand, an effective remedy will bring with it the personal gains of personal ownership.

To manage the risk associated with delegation of responsibilities, managers must institute a culture of accountability. Managers must ensure that accountability is very specifically communicated as a core value and therefore a non-negotiable expectation. Employees must understand in no uncertain terms that the organisation expects them to be accountable and will hold them accountable without exception. They must understand that their responsibilities carry personal ownership which, in turn, brings with the potential for personal loss or gain, depending on how such responsibilities are performed.

Creating and then managing accountability is, however, very different from merely administering accountability which seems to have become the norm in many organisations.