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Leadership and communication

Accountability

Taking responsibility for agreed actions and results, accepting that decisions will be reviewed and that consequences may follow from that review, as defined in research on the idea.

Accountability means owning your actions and results. A meta-analysis in the research literature defines it as a three-part idea: the individual takes responsibility for their actions, agrees that their decisions or actions will be assessed by a meaningful audience, and accepts that rewards or sanctions will follow from that assessment.

In a dental team it can mean clear roles, agreed goals and open review of results. It works well with clear job descriptions, regular feedback and a fair performance review.

One person cannot make a team accountable alone. Both leaders and team members have parts to play. This entry gives a general definition and no method.

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Related terms

Sources

  1. PMC, The Effect of Outcome vs. Process Accountability-Focus on Performance: A Meta-Analysis

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