Ownership: Can it deliver high-level accountability?
For true success, ownership and accountability form a crucial partnership, as they foster a culture of responsibility that leads to improved decision-making, increased productivity, and greater trust. Goldours agrees.
So what’s the difference? Ownership is a proactive commitment to completing the task and achieving its outcome.
On the other hand, accountability is the responsibility for the results.
Together, these principles empower individuals and teams to achieve higher performance, engage more deeply with their work, and learn from mistakes to drive continuous improvement.
So let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of these two powerhouses:
Ownership: Taking initiative and pride
- Proactive mindset: Owners don't wait for direction; they take initiative and act as if they are the organisation.
- Commitment: It goes beyond simply completing a task to being invested in the overall success of the project or goal.
- Problem-solving: It transforms a problem from "not my problem" to "my opportunity to solve it".
Accountability: Being answerable for the results
- Follow-through: It is the commitment to deliver on promises, on time and to the required standard.
- Taking responsibility means being accountable for both successes and setbacks.
- Measuring outcomes provides a framework for evaluating and learning from the actions and decisions made.
Let’s examine the benefits for individuals, teams, and organisations.
How have you experienced this duo in your organisation? The more we share, the more we learn.
