3 Strengths-Based Practices That Help Managers Create Accountability

Less than one-fourth, 23%, of employees strongly agree they have a clear definition of what exceptional performance looks like in their role, according to Gallup. Lack of clarity contributes to employees falling short on performance and leaves managers without a clear basis for holding people accountable. A strengths-based leadership approach gives managers a practical path to create accountability through goal setting, coaching and ownership practices grounded in what each person does best.

1. Set Strengths-Based Goals and Expectations

Managers and employees should set goals based on the employee’s strengths so employees understand what is expected of them and how they can realistically achieve it. When people see their responsibilities through the lens of their natural talents, accountability becomes personal, and expectations feel more achievable. 

In practice, strengths-based goal setting might look like:

• defining the specific strength(s) that naturally will motivate the employee to complete each goal 
• reviewing a job description to identify how the employee's strengths uniquely position them to deliver on each responsibility
• revising a process or list of assignments to align work with each team member's natural talents, including pairing team members with complementary strengths to improve collaboration

2. Hold Frequent Coaching Conversations

Managers hold people accountable and translate accountability from a policy into a practice through frequent, strengths-based coaching conversations. Gallup research shows that weekly manager coaching conversations that integrate recognition, priority-setting and strengths-based development are among the most effective habits a manager can build. Managers should lead these conversations proactively and consistently. 

Coaching at work might look like:

• opening a check-in by connecting the employee's latest achievement to their talents
• identifying the most important work ahead and discussing how the employee's strengths position them to tackle it
• exploring how the employee wants to grow and which of their strengths they can lean into to achieve their goals

3. Inspire Work Ownership

When managers use CliftonStrengths® to connect employees to work that draws on their natural talents, the work is more engaging and meaningful. Employees naturally are more motivated to invest in work that fits how they think, feel and behave, and that motivation shifts accountability from something managers impose to something employees feel from within. 

Managers can inspire ownership by:

• inviting employees to propose how they would approach a goal given their strengths 
• encouraging team members to share their strengths at the start of a cross-functional project to introduce themselves and the talents they bring to the task
• recognizing exceptional performance by naming specific strengths that drove the outstanding results

For a broader look at what drives accountability challenges across teams and organizations, see “How Can Leaders Build Accountability and High Performance at Work?”