Two questions I am often asked are “How can I get my people to be more accountable?” and “How can I make them take greater ownership of their role?” These are two great questions. Your business needs people to be committed to deliver on outcomes. So why is there not greater ownership and accountability? I believe there are four reasons and therefore four solutions to this problem:

Lack of Clear Expectations. Do your people know what is expected of them? Often it is assumed, but this is not enough. You need to have an open conversation about what outcomes you are looking for, how success will be measured and how you expect the job to carried out to meet the objectives. Documenting clear expectations in a position description should eliminate any misunderstanding.

Lack of Measurement. Do people know what you are looking for? Quite often managers will feel frustrated because they are not ‘seeing’ progress. So, it is essential that you set clear milestones and targets and agree on how progress is going to be communicated. The position description should include clear performance measures and goals so people will know what you are looking for and by when.

Lack of Purpose. Do your people understand the connection between what they are doing and the bigger picture? Managers may question a lack of urgency or people not seeing the end game. But is that because there is a lack of awareness? Being clear about the vision and mission for your business and regularly communicating business priorities can help people see the relevance of their work and motivate them to achieve company goals.

Lack of Feedback. Are people receiving regular feedback on their progress? Small problems can only get bigger and will lead to disengagement if they are not dealt with quickly and effectively. People need open, honest and timely feedback about how they are going. Positive and negative feedback are essential to keep performance on track. Feedback should be based on clear expectations and agreed outcomes to keep it objective and aligned with the position description.

Accountability and ownership are necessary to achieve business outcomes but can only be achieved when expectations, measurement, purpose and feedback are all aligned. Starting with a well-documented and communicated position description helps bridge the gap between what is expected and employee ownership.