Last week we discussed the Great UK Post Office Scandal. We outlined that recognising the importance of knowing where the buck stops minimises an escalation of business issues. For business directors and HR professionals, ensuring that their managers are accountable is not just a matter of good practice but a strategic must.

The Post Office Scandal demonstrates that a lack of accountability impacts the integrity of a business and damages employee engagement.

Accountable managers are essential for driving organisational performance. When managers take responsibility for their actions and decisions, it fosters a culture of efficiency and effectiveness, ultimately contributing to the achievement of strategic goals.
Moreover, employees are more likely to be motivated and engaged when they witness a commitment to accountability from their managers.

Accountable managers act as a crucial line of defence against potential business risks. By being responsible for their areas of oversight, they can identify and address issues before they escalate, protecting the organisation from financial, operational, and reputational harm.

For business directors and HR professionals, it is worth asking yourself the following questions:

• Do managers clearly define and communicate expectations?
Effective communication of expectations is fundamental to managerial accountability. Business leaders should assess whether their managers provide clear guidelines and expectations to their teams, fostering a shared understanding of goals and responsibilities.

• Do managers take ownership of mistakes and learn from them?
Accountable managers acknowledge mistakes, take responsibility, and learn from them. Business leaders should reflect on whether their managers embrace a culture that values learning and growth over blame.

• Is there a culture of accountability throughout the organisation?
Accountability should permeate the entire organisation. Leaders should assess whether their managers actively promote and reinforce a culture of accountability, both within their teams and across the organisation. At the same time, they should address how they demonstrate accountability.

• Are performance metrics aligned with organisational goals?
Business leaders should ensure that managers set and measure performance metrics that align with broader organisational objectives. To know this, organisational goals should be communicated across the business. This alignment reinforces the strategic direction of the company and ensures that individual and team efforts contribute to overarching goals.

It’s important that managers should know where the buck stops with them. That comes with being a confident and effective manager.

Our ILM Level 3 Leadership and Management course is the ideal opportunity for managers to learn these fundamental skills. The course shines a light on management communication, understanding leadership and performance management. Equally, we have put together a one day workshop called ‘The Developing Manager’ which focusses on building manager’s confidence to manage the team’s performance.

Call us on 01452 331331 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to book your places.