“Accountability breeds response-ability.”
– Stephen R. Covey

The importance of strategic planning is a frequent topic of these articles because it’s essential to business success. Especially in challenging economic times such as the past year, the businesses that are driven by a strong strategic plan are the businesses that not only survive, but thrive.

I’ve focused in recent columns on the One Page Plan as an efficient strategic planning tool. It’s a deceptively simple system that helps business leaders develop measurable goals, engage the entire organization and establish accountability for results. Whatever planning tool you use, make sure it is simple and the same format is used by all leaders/managers. The system should have clear definitions of objectives, strategies and action plans, and includes dates and “owners” for all action plans.

What happens after you complete the plan, however, is just as important as developing the plan itself. In many organizations, managers simply don’t know how to be accountable for results. Instead of running with the ball, they sit back and wait for the boss to tell them what to do. In some organizations the CEO stifles accountability, consciously or unconsciously, by micromanaging employees and insisting on being involved in every decision. This is especially common in businesses run by a founder who had to wear all the hats to get the business started and has trouble letting go of authority as the business grows.

The first step to building a culture of accountability in your business, therefore, is to look inside and make sure you’re committed to developing a strong management team. If you truly want a high-performance business that doesn’t depend on you for every decision, then you’re ready for these tips to help your managers become accountable for results:

1) Set the expectation

Sit down with your management team and tell them that you’re delegating responsibility and accountability for the results in your strategic plan. Be specific and explain what accountability means: developing and implementing action plans, making decisions and solving problems. Let them know you’re available to help if they need it, but be sure they understand that you won’t make decisions or solve problems for them.

2) Provide the destination, not the roadmap

Give your managers clear goals and timeframes, but don’t tell them how to do the job. Figuring out how to get from here to there is the start of accountability. If they’re struggling, talk through the assignment with them to help them find their way, but don’t do the work for them.

3) Many roads lead to Rome

There’s always more than one way to accomplish a goal. Don’t expect your management team to do things the same way you would. Allow for differences in personal style and encourage your employees to approach tasks in the way that works best for them. If they propose plans that are not acceptable because they’re inconsistent with your company values or likely to upset your customers, for example, work with them to modify their plans. Otherwise, let them do their jobs.

4) Make your office a “No Bailout” zone

When managers come to you with problems, you’ll be tempted to make a quick assessment of the situation and tell them what to do. Such knee-jerk reactions will undermine all of your efforts to build a culture of accountability, however. Instead of solving the problems for them, ask questions to help them find the solutions on their own.

5) Turn failures into learning opportunities

Becoming accountable is risky. Managers who are learning to run their portion of the business will inevitably make mistakes along the way. If you jump all over them the first time they fail, they’ll never be willing to take another risk and they’ll never become accountable. Let them know that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as they learn from their errors and don’t repeat the same mistakes.

6) Praise them when they’re being accountable

When your management team understands the expectations and starts to act with accountability, praise them. This will reinforce accountability and encourage managers to take their performance to even higher levels.

Creating a culture of accountability begins at the top. Setting clear goals, helping managers think and act with clarity and timeliness and coaching people for results.