Accountability can sometimes have this bad connotation, like getting in trouble or being told what to do, especially in the "management of rules" culture. Kind of like a coach yelling in your face after a bad play, right? Wrong. Accountability in the workplace is all about setting and holding people to a common expectation by clearly defining the company’s mission, values, and goals with MOTIVATION. We all need motivation, whether we choose to admit it or not.
Successful businesses fuel off of accountability, but sometimes it can be incredibly hard to implement, and sometimes, people don’t know where to start. It starts with yourself first, and positioning yourself to take ownership, and allowing people to check in on you. It takes vulnerability. A lot of it. Flywheel Brands wants to redefine what accountability looks like, allowing us to count on each other.
So let us start off by saying, we have to be intentional with accountability every day, too. At Flywheel, a way of exercising accountability in our work environment is by having a water drinking competition.
A water drinking competition? Yes, you got that right and we just started this week. Most of our team could be better at drinking water and sometimes making it a competition can absolutely motivate us. We are starting off with 64 oz. daily for 1 week, and over time we will continue to increase the amount of water consumption. Yes, there is a prize for the people that complete the goal, but that’s TBD because again, we just started this week. It’s actually gotten everyone pumped because it involves the team, a goal, and we are extremely competitive.
What’s helping us stay afloat is using our 32oz water bottle for the competition! You don’t have to refill it so much, and hey, you’re helping save the planet one reusable water bottle at a time.
If the challenges of accountability in the business are real, then so are the benefits. It’s actually extremely rewarding for both leaders and employees because it builds trust, improves performance, strengthens the culture by empowering one another, & becomes better compliance. It’s good for your team. It’s good for ours too.
So kick butt, and drink more water.