Accountability and Trust in the Age of Flexibility

Graziella Moschella

Senior Content Marketing Manager

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Introduction

There’s no denying the workplace has entered a new era. In recent years, we’ve seen a profound change in how we perceive and interact with the office. Traditional boundaries have faded, and flexible work arrangements have become standard.

However, despite offering flexibility and more freedom to employees worldwide, these changes have also brought their own challenges.

As a result, companies need help maintaining engagement and accountability in an environment with limited direct supervision. This issue is becoming critically important for HR professionals and Workplace/Facility managers, who are leading the way in developing and implementing flexible work models. Their roles are crucial in creating strategies that drive employee efficiency while fostering a culture of trust and accountability.

So, what should employers do to face these new work challenges?

The answer, for (almost) everything, is creating balance — a balance between autonomy and responsibility, to be precise.

While flexibility is now the norm and has become essential for employee satisfaction and work-life balance, this work model requires some clear expectations and a sense of ownership to accompany it so that it can also satisfy employers’ needs.

In the following article, we'll explore strategies and tools for creating a climate of trust and accountability in your workplace. These techniques will benefit HR and facility managers who want to lead hybrid teams more effectively and employees who want tips on navigating the ever-evolving work landscape.

Set Clear Expectations and Goals

Creating a sense of trust and accountability is like building a bridge that connects your company’s objectives with your employee's contributions. You must do it with accuracy and foresight.

Start by clearly outlining expectations and goals. These will be the North Star for workers, guiding their actions in line with overall organizational goals.

You should build your North Star keeping in mind the following:

• Foster communication between leaders and their teams.
• Examine each goal's 'what,' 'why,' and 'how' to ensure understanding.
• Make sure all team members see their duties as crucial to success.

This approach is even more critical in hybrid work environments, where face-to-face interactions are more limited.

Here, goals must be as clear as possible to connect individuals and allow them to collaborate effectively toward a common company objective. And let’s not forget — clear objectives also give guidance and purpose to the workforce, turning their efforts into a symphony of efficiency and productivity.

Finally, setting goals helps assess performance, enhances fairness, and allows employees to reflect on their work and make improvements. It encourages employees to take charge of their roles and contribute actively to the organization's goals rather than just following instructions passively.

Shift from Presence to Performance

Now that we have established measurable, clear objectives, we must shift our mindset to embrace them. Adopting these goals is a manager's responsibility and a strategic organizational imperative for companies that aim to remain agile and flexible.

In order to accomplish this, it is critical to transition evaluation of performance away from presence, and toward a more data-driven evaluation of performance.

Organizations can cultivate an environment centered on efficiency by prioritizing outcomes over activities. When individuals feel empowered to manage their time for optimal productivity and attend in-person events and meetings judiciously, the result is a more engaged and high-performing team.

To nail this shift, managers should focus on their team communication and collaboration patterns. When it comes to communication, a mix of-real-time updates and clear asynchronous channels is important to monitor progress and address challenges that arise. Complementing good communication practices with the right types of in-person or virtual meetings reinforces trust, keeping employees on track with their goals and connected to the team’s mission.

Instill the Right Cultural Practices

The final important element to nail is investing in a culture that supports accountability and trust. Here are four steps you can take:

1. Encourage open communication: Listen actively, be transparent, and treat everyone respectfully, valuing their opinions.

2. Lead by example: Good leaders establish trust and accountability by being reliable and owning their actions.

3. Foster collaboration: Create an inclusive environment where ideas are shared and achievements are celebrated.

4. Support growth and development: Provide resources, training, tools, and support to enhance skills.

Conclusion

Creating a flexible work environment characterized by accountability and trust is a continuous and dynamic process that cannot be approached with a one-size-fits-all strategy. The key is to be committed to clear, empathetic communication, a shared vision with employees, and a leadership style that models the values it aims to instill.

About the Author

Graziella Moschella
Senior Content Marketing Manager at deskbird

With a zest for words and a knack for digital dazzle, Graziella leads the content strategy at deskbird.com. Armed with over a decade of expertise, she crafts stories about sustainability in the hybrid office, flexible work models, and employee experience. At deskbird, the workplace management app that puts employees first, Graziella combines data and creativity to explore every aspect of the modern office and to ensure the platform remains a beacon for those navigating the future of work. Whether exploring the benefits of desk booking or adding sparkle to a new hybrid work checklist, Graziella's content keeps the flexible world buzzing.