Accountability for Values | Mind The Gap Report

"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not" – Oprah Winfrey

Why It Matters 

Every organisation espouses certain core values – integrity, excellence, respect, teamwork, customer-centricity, and so on. These values are meant to guide behaviour and decisions, forming the bedrock of culture. However, values only matter if people are held accountable for really living them. A disconnect between stated values and actual behaviours can poison a culture, breeding cynicism and mistrust. 

On the positive side, when values are consistently lived and reinforced, they become a powerful driver of unity and performance. Research indicates that teams with a strong sense of shared purpose and values have significantly higher performance – a Harvard Business Review study found;

a 17% increase in performance for such teams. 

Accountability is the engine that drives that performance. It ensures that everyone – from top leaders to new hires – upholds the agreed standards. This includes accountability for results (doing what we promised) and for behaviour (acting in accordance with our values).

A culture with no accountability might feel warm and fuzzy until something goes wrong – and then finger-pointing or avoidance sets in. Conversely, a high-accountability culture addresses issues constructively and early, preventing small problems from festering. It’s about having the right conversations, even if they’re uncomfortable. 

But as we know from earlier, managerial avoidance to having difficult conversations is a significant barrier here.

CPOs often find themselves as the guardians of values and the facilitators of accountability processes (like performance management or recognition programmes). They know that how a company handles a breach of values, or whether managers give honest feedback, sends a loud message to employees. In recent years, concepts like psychological safety (people feeling safe to speak up or make mistakes) have gained traction – and rightly so, as they encourage learning and innovation. 

Another aspect to consider here is how organisations integrate values-driven initiatives like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) or sustainability into culture. It’s one thing to talk about values like ‘Everyone is equal’ or ‘Planet First’, but it’s another to weave them into everyday work and hold people accountable for them (so they’re not just a ‘tickbox’ exercise).

The Challenge 

Several CPOs pointed out that lack of accountability was hurting their ability to embed the core values. One said: 

“Values are the foundation of our culture, and we need to continue to improve how we manage performance – the how and the what – to ensure we are holding people accountable”. 

The phrase “how and what” is key - it’s not just hitting targets (the what) but how you hit them (your behaviours) that matters.

Another respondent commented,

“We aren’t good at holding each other accountable soon enough –we push issues out and wait until it becomes a firefight at which point directors have to roll their sleeves up and manage. It’s not fair or sustainable”. 

This paints a picture of problemsbeing swept under the rug until they explode.Not only is that inefficient, it’s also demoralisingfor team members who likely were aware ofthe issue all along.

The weaponisation of values came up in multiple forms. One CPO mentioned “values being weaponised”, in the context of managers avoiding conflict, as we saw.

Another noted that “values are also being weaponised by employees” in some cases – for instance, an employee might accuse a manager of not being “respectful” or “inclusive” simply because the manager gave them critical feedback or declined a promotion. This doesn’t mean the values of respect or inclusion are wrong, of course, but it means there’s cultural nuance to address: people need to understand that living the values includes accountability to standards, not just being agreeable to the idea of the values themselves. DEI came up as a specific value that we need to work harder at integrating.

One CPO said,

“We need to be clear on what [DEI] means and what we’re really talking about. And we need to link DEI back to values and purpose so it becomes part of the fabric and isn’t just another thing”.

They added that ultimately it’s about inclusion – everyone feeling valued. This indicates a desire to move DEI from a standalone initiative to an embedded cultural element. 

Similar points were made about sustainability:

“How do we help employees see the part they can play in our sustainability initiatives… so it isn’t a token thing?” 

In both cases, respondents are saying: ‘we know what good is, now we have to actually weave them into daily behaviour and decisions’. Accountability here might mean, for example, holding leaders responsible for diversity goals, or including sustainable practices in performance metrics – to avoid the fate of those values becoming words on a wall.

In summary, CPOs see that values mean little without accountability. The challenge is creating an environment where people both feel safe and supported and know that standards will be enforced. It’s about having straightforward conversations in the context of care and about recipients being open to those conversations as an opportunity to change and grow. 

When done right, employees at all levels understand that living the company’s values is everyone’s responsibility, and they hold themselves and each other to that standard.

Practical Steps For Change 

1. Clarify behavioural expectations 

Lofty values need to be translated into concrete behaviours. Consider developing a simple values handbook or toolkit that outlines the behaviours for each value, giving examples of what good looks like – and doesn’t look like! 

2. Build a culture of feedback 

Normalise feedback as a positive and regular part of work life. This requires training and practice. Encourage managers and peers to give ‘feedforward’ (future-focused suggestions) as well as feedback. 

3. Integrate values into hiring and onboarding 

One way to ensure accountability is to hire people who already share or at least respect the values. Incorporate behavioural interview questions related to values or consider using culture ambassadors to interview candidates purely for values add (versus values fit – which could result in a workforce of drones). 

4. Constantly tend the garden 

The context in which your organisation operates constantly changes and so will your culture if left untended. So, treat culture maintenance as an ongoing process. Use tools like culture surveys, ethics hotlines, performance management data or informal check-ins to gauge if values are being felt and seen. 

---

In cultures that achieve the right balance, employees will say things like, “We hold ourselves to high standards, but we also have each other’s backs”. 

That’s the sweet spot - high accountability and high support - and that’s when culture becomes a true driver of performance, reputation, and employee pride.

Interested in learning more, download our report today: https://www.inspiringchange.ie//mindthegap