Holding to account

Abstract

In contemporary healthcare services, managers are required to create environments in which competing forces place significant demands on the system as well as individuals to contribute to productivity. Each employee is held accountable and responsible for their part in contributing to this productivity. Often, people feel that being held to account is something negative that usually happens to them when things go wrong, rather than something they can utilise to ensure success (Smith, 2014). Holding to account can be difficult if the perceptions of the supervisor and subordinate are at odds. It could reasonably be expected that a nurse manager would be aware of their supervisor's expectations and hold a shared perspective on performance accountabilities; however, this is not always the case. We cannot assume that people share the same understanding of what they are accountable for or the standards expected of them. Accountabilities need to be made explicit and clear.