The Importance of Balancing Accountability and Autonomy

Jeffrey Scott Sussman, a private hospitality consultant in New York, spent more than three decades working in and leading hotels as a hotel GM. Immediately prior to becoming a consultant, Jeffrey Scott Sussman was the hotel GM for Hashoo Group in Dubai and was successful in raising the GOP from 37 percent to 52 percent during the two years he held this role.

Businesses and brands in all industries recognize the importance of building a more resilient, customer-focused organization. To this end, they are seeking engagement, of which autonomy is an essential component. Autonomy grants people the freedom to solve different problems according to their own ideas and beliefs. While this helps employees of any business feel greater ownership over their work, thus boosting their engagement and productivity, pure autonomy can easily produce poor results. This is because employees aren’t always on the same page.

To prevent issues that occur with too much autonomy, companies must also incorporate accountability. With accountability, employees are held responsible for the results of their work. However, since this applies to senior employees and other executives, businesses with too much accountability often have a micromanagement culture. Micromanagement reduces employee productivity and engagement.

Rather than leaning too heavily towards one or the other, companies must balance both autonomy and accountability. To do this, they must clearly set a purpose that serves as the company’s driving motivator, build a unique culture that values freedom and creativity, and embrace innovation to be agile in the changing marketplace. Such elements ensure employees have a firm understanding of the company’s goals, so they can maintain a good sense of autonomy while still being accountable for their results.