Thursday, January 22, 2026
The modern workplace mustn’t forget the value in people being responsible for actions, decisions, and outcomes, says Steve Hutin, managing director at Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd.
I want to haul back into general acceptance the importance of Accountability, which is getting increasingly smudged in many growing organisations.
Accountability used to be widely considered a desirable attribute. It was up there on the checklist with things like Integrity, Reliability, Respectfulness, Transparency, Trustworthiness and Truthfulness. In fact, if someone told me in a conversation that they were Accountable, my attention would drift; in other words, I’d believe this asset to be so obvious, I’d take it as a given. Tell me something I don’t know, I’d think.
However, as time has gone on, if someone references their Accountability these days, I tune in. I want to know more about what it means to them and why they feel it is important. I’m eager to learn how they demonstrate taking responsibility. It feels like a throwback to an ancient code or set of professional guidelines that’s been lost in translation. We mustn’t let Accountability sail off into the distant past, as though it’s no longer relevant.
In simple terms, Accountability means being responsible for your actions, decisions, and outcomes, and being willing to own the results, whether positive or negative. Accountability is the obligation to explain, justify, and take responsibility for what you do, and to act to correct issues when things go wrong. It should be a central principle of any worker and the binding contract of a workforce and its leadership. A productive workplace culture depends on understanding the difference between Accountability and blame. Accountability involves recognising one’s role in an outcome and taking ownership of improvement. Blame deflects responsibility, often towards systems, colleagues, or leadership, without meaningful self-reflection. So, why doesn’t everyone get an A for Accountability?
Tipping point
One of the problems is a tipping of the balance between support and Accountability. Over the past few years, our business has experienced a period of significant growth. Like many companies, we’ve had phases of active recruitment; this is a natural part of building a strong, sustainable team. Growth brings opportunity, but it can expose mismatches in fit, attitude, and alignment with expectations. These gaps only become apparent once people are in a role.
At the start of every relationship between employer and employee, it should be made crystal clear what each one can expect of the other. From a recruitment and leadership perspective, their end of the bargain revolves around providing clear roles, expectations, and objectives. As a company, that means outlining what a person will be asked to do, what success will look like, and why certain measurables are important. No new recruit should be in doubt about these fundamentals.
A company should deliver adequate training and onboarding sessions. Appropriate tools, systems, and resources should be available from Day One. Good employers are characterised by fair policies and consistent management. A safe, lawful, and respectful working environment is present from the boardroom to the manufacturing floor, and everywhere in between.
Where these ingredients are missing, it is entirely reasonable for performance to suffer. Poor leadership, unclear direction, or inconsistent standards will undermine even the most capable employees. Employers should be willing to look inward when patterns of failure emerge. However, once these foundations are in place, it becomes increasingly difficult, and unhelpful, to attribute all shortcomings to the organisation itself. And that’s where I feel Accountability has become unfashionable. Too often, I hear about people adopting a mindset that a shortcoming is someone else’s fault. One cannot be Accountable, if the first reaction is finger pointing.
Lost in translation
I was talking to a peer recently who was accused of micromanagement when, in truth, they were merely revisiting the key components of an agreement with an employee who wasn’t performing adequately or meeting expectations. It wasn’t micromanagement; it was a business owner who had given the employee every possible level of support and was checking back to learn why the employee wasn’t being equally Accountable. In this instance, the worker had become emboldened by a belief that the organisation had a greater burden of responsibility than they did.
I’m no advocate of micromanagement; it’s cumbersome and demotivating. It’s a management style where a leader closely observes, controls, or interferes with the work of employees, often focusing on minor details instead of the bigger picture. I never covet excessive oversight of small tasks. I’m never reluctant to delegate authority. And I always start from a position of trust in employees’ judgement. But that doesn’t mean I’m not welded to my beliefs in Accountability. It’s a two-way street.
I don’t subscribe to the argument that this is a young person’s problem. In fact, it is a complete and unfair myth that young people lack Accountability, moral fibre, or work ethic compared with older generations. Each generation faces different challenges, opportunities, and cultural pressures, and to assume that youth itself equates to irresponsibility is both simplistic and inaccurate. Young professionals today demonstrate remarkable commitment, adaptability, and ethical awareness, often juggling complex work, study, and social responsibilities simultaneously.
Surveys and workplace studies consistently show that millennials and Gen Z value integrity, reliability, and purpose-driven work, and many go above and beyond in their roles. To dismiss an entire generation as less Accountable is not only unfounded, but it also undermines the very qualities that drive modern organisations forward.
I’ve seen the ugliest of unaccountability and negligence at both ends of the age scale. And it doesn’t matter if someone is an apprentice welder or a member of an executive board; the principles of Accountability remain the same. Old, young, blue collar, white collar, newcomer, or industry veteran, nobody has a licence to abandon the rules of engagement between employer and employee. Both parties have a commitment to the other. Both can cause the relationship to breakdown.
In short, problems aren’t always the employer’s cross to bear, even if they have to be answerable to disputes.
Accountability anchored
This is where Human Resources (HR) is central to establishing Accountability between employer and employee because it creates the framework, policies, and processes that define expectations and ensure they are followed. Without HR guidance, Accountability can be inconsistent, misunderstood, or ignored. Again — and as I’ve written in this blog before — it’s a misconception that HR is primarily there to monitor, discipline, or protect the company, rather than support staff. Sound HR binds everything together. It’s a bastion of Accountability for everyone.
It’s important to emphasise that, while Accountability doesn’t appear as ubiquitous as it once was, the vast majority of people at the vast majority of companies are indeed Accountable. The problem is, even a single person’s bad behaviour, attitude, or tendency to blame others can affect the morale, culture, or performance of a whole team or organisation. We all know the adage that it only takes one bad apple… and it’s true… even in something as simple as keeping a workplace clean and tidy. If one person litters the workbench, the workbench has litter on it, regardless of whether most people who work there dispose of their waste materials responsibly.
The good news is, Accountability wins. A good, well-run company naturally maintains Accountability because it depends on employees who take responsibility, follow through, and contribute positively to the organisation’s goals. Unaccountable people threaten productivity, culture, and trust, so strong companies have systems to identify and address them. Employees who meet commitments and own outcomes drive results. Those who avoid responsibility, cut corners, or shift blame consistently undermine team performance.
This guidance is especially relevant to companies in a phase of growth, where new recruits are constantly being introduce to the operation. We’ve certainly found that when we’ve embraced certain corporate principles, we’ve taken our eye off the ball in terms of what has worked for us historically. Accountability can suffer if a company’s culture becomes clouded.
Only at the turn of this year, we reiterated the importance of working together as a team, supporting our colleagues, and delivering world-class customer service. Even to the borderline of a siege mentality, we want 2026 to be remembered as a year of solidarity, loyalty, and collaboration. Call it a Back to Basics approach, if that’s more digestible.
Employer or employee, would you get an A for Accountability?
Steve Hutin
Managing Director
Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd
