Are you in search of some accountability team building activities?
Having employees who are accountable is a boon to any organization. However, creating an environment that promotes accountability is a challenge. That’s why it’s important to incorporate accountability training activities into your corporate culture.
In this article, let’s see 12 team building activities to improve accountability among your employees.
12 Accountability Team Building Activities
Here are some of the accountability activities you can try in your workplace.
#1. Vision Board Creation
This activity encourages employees accountable by setting personal objectives and creating a vision for the future.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Materials: Markers and poster papers
Participants: Any number of people
Instructions
- Have each group member draw out their vision on the poster paper.
- Allow each one to explain their vision and discuss ways they can support each other.
- After discussing, have them create a unified vision that incorporates all members’ individual visions.
Debrief
During the debrief, analyze the strategies developed by the team to achieve their goals and the ways accountability will be ensured for meeting these goals. Also, determine any areas that require improvement and suggest collaborative actions for closing those gaps.
#2. Shadowing
This activity is a great way for employees to gain insight into the responsibilities and challenges of leading a team.
Time: You decide
Materials: None
Participants: Team leader and members
Instructions
- Have the leader choose a project or task and assign it to their team.
- Ask each team member to shadow their leader and observe the way they handle challenges and complete tasks.
- Afterward, have each member discuss their observations with the group.
Debrief
During the debrief, discuss what strategies were observed that they could incorporate into their own leadership roles, and identify any areas of improvement. Additionally, come up with accountability measures that the team should implement to ensure these goals are met.
#3. Team Survey
This exercise encourages employees to become more accountable and improve their team dynamics.
Time: You decide
Materials: A list of survey questions, paper, and pen
Participants: Any number of people
Instructions
- Let each person participate in a survey by answering a list of questions.
For instance, some of the questions can be:
“How could the group become more accountable?”
“How can the team work together better or accomplish tasks more efficiently?”
- Allow time for them to discuss their answers with the whole group.
- Afterwards, have each group discuss how they can be more accountable.
Debrief
Discuss the responses and come up with collaborative actions for closing those gaps. Agree on accountability measures that will hold everyone responsible for their individual roles, as well as collective responsibilities within the team. Additionally, discuss how these changes will help improve group dynamics and productivity.
#4. Accountability Check-In
The Accountability Check-In is an exercise designed to foster open communication and accountability within a team.
Time: You decide
Materials: None
Participants: At least 3 people per group
Instructions
- Ask each group member to discuss how they are meeting their individual goals.
- Then, they can discuss any team goals that have been set and how everyone is working to achieve them.
- Ask each member to state what they need from the group in order for them to be successful.
Debrief
Discuss each person’s ideas for achieving their goals. Encourage each member to be accountable for their own progress and to collaborate with the team.
#5. Project Marathon
This activity encourages employees to provide feedback for each other’s projects while developing accountability and collaboration.
Time: You decide
Materials: Paper and pen (optional)
Participants: Any number of people
Instructions
- The group members should take turns presenting the projects they are working on.
- The rest of the members should provide constructive criticism and suggestions to help improve the project.
- At the end of each round, the presenter should summarize what they learned from the discussion.
Debrief
Discuss how the group’s feedback has helped each person. Emphasize how this encourages accountability and collaboration within the team. Also, encourage each member to take responsibility for their own progress and the team’s success.
#6. Jam Session
The Jam Session exercise helps to foster collaboration and accountability in the workplace while having fun.
Time: You decide
Materials: None
Participants: At least 3 people per group
Instructions
- Ask each group member to present a project idea.
- Create a discussion space for the group to share their feedback and ideas.
- Encourage members to provide creative solutions in order to improve the project.
- Challenge them to think in unique ways and explore different possibilities.
Debrief
Reflect on the feedback that was shared and identify areas for improvement within the projects. Discuss strategies that could help group members stay accountable and reach their goals.
#7. Responsible Mates
This activity is designed to encourage collaboration while ensuring that everyone in the group is accountable for their contribution.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Paper and pen
Participants: Minimum 3 members per group
Instructions
- Each group member should come up with an answer related to the project they’re working on. For example, what is the best way to market a product?
- Once everyone has written down their answer, each person should pass their paper to the person on their left.
- The person receiving the paper should read the answer, and then add something to it such as a different idea or an improvement to the previous answer.
- Continue passing the papers until everyone has received their original papers. Finally, let each person notice the contributions of their colleagues.
Debrief
Discuss how everyone worked together to come up with ideas and solutions. Encourage everyone to be accountable for their contributions and evaluate how the different perspectives helped the group come up with a better solution.
#8. The Challenge Box
This activity encourages team members to be creative and accountable for their contributions.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: A box with different items like paper, glue, markers, fabric scraps, etc.
Participants: At least 3 people per group
Instructions
- Divide the participants into groups.
- Give each group a box with various items inside.
- Ask them to come up with a creative idea or solution using the items in the box. For example, if the items in the box are paper and glue, the group might come up with an idea to create a collage.
- Finally, each group can present their idea and explain how they came up with it.
Debrief
Discuss how each member was accountable for their contribution to the group’s idea or solution. Talk about the importance of collaboration and how different perspectives can help come up with a better solution.
#9. The Hot Seat
This activity encourages employees to think critically and take accountability as a group.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: None
Participants: At least 4 people per group
Instructions
- Divide the participants into groups.
- Ask one member of the group to go into the ‘hot seat’. That means they should sit in the middle of their teammates.
- The person in the hot seat should explain an issue or problem they are facing.
- The other members should ask questions and provide input on how to best address the issue or problem.
- The person in the hot seat can then take the team’s advice into account and come up with a solution.
Debrief
Discuss how the team’s input and advice helped the person in the hot seat come up with a solution. Talk about how collaboration is essential for accountability and how the team should be working together to find solutions.
#10. The Blame Game
In this exercise, participants learn to take responsibility for their own actions instead of blaming others.
Time: You decide
Materials: Paper and pen
Participants: At least 3 people per group
Instructions
- Break the participants into groups.
- Give each group member a blank sheet of paper and a pen.
- Each group member should write down an instance where they have blamed someone else for their mistake.
- Now, each group member should read out their instance.
- Then, the group should discuss how they could have taken responsibility for their own mistake instead of blaming someone else.
Debrief
Discuss the importance of taking personal responsibility for your actions, and why blaming others is not productive. Talk through different strategies for ownership and accountability.
#11. Red Light/Green Light
In this exercise, participants must make decisions on whether to move forward or not based on feedback from other team members.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: None
Participants: Any number of people
Instructions
- One person is designated as the “traffic light” and stands in the middle of the group. The rest of the players start on one side of the “traffic light”.
- The traffic light calls out “red” or “green”. If they say “green”, the participants can move forward. If they say “red”, everyone must freeze.
- If anyone is caught moving while the traffic light says “red,” they are out and must stand in the middle.
- The game continues until all players have been eliminated and the last person standing is the winner.
Debrief
Discuss the importance of listening and acting on feedback from other group members. Talk through different strategies for balancing a team’s individual input with collective decision-making.
#12. The Mistake List
This exercise encourages team members to practice owning their mistakes and learning from them.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: Paper and pen
Participants: At least 3 members per group
Instructions
- Each group member writes down a mistake they have made in the past.
- The mistakes should be related to the team’s current project or task and can range from minor blunders to major missteps.
- After everyone has written down their mistake, each person takes turns reading them aloud and explaining what went wrong.
- Then, the groups can discuss ways to prevent the mistakes from happening again.
Debrief
Discuss the importance of learning from past mistakes and how it can help groups become more effective. Encourage everyone to embrace accountability within their group and strive for continuous improvement.
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Or Want Some Unique Leadership Development Activities?
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Final Words
Building a culture of accountability within a team is necessary for it to function correctly. Hopefully, the above accountability activities provide a great starting point for your employees to practice and learn how to work together effectively. Encouraging a collaborative working style within the team will not only help them reach better outcomes but also create stronger relationships.
FAQ: Accountability Team Building Activities
You might have these questions in mind.
What is accountability?
Accountability is the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions and decisions. It is a core value that should be embraced by employees to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal.
What are some good accountability activities for employees?
Some good accountability team building activities for employees are vision board creation, shadowing, the mistake list, etc. These activities are designed to help employees become more accountable for their actions and focus on achieving a common goal.
What is the importance of accountability training activities?
Accountability training activities are important for teams to foster a culture of responsibility and improve their performance. Moreover, these activities help to create a sense of ownership within the team, which is important for any successful project.
How often should accountability team building activities be done?
Accountability team building activities can be used as frequently as needed. Doing these exercises on a regular basis can help employees remain accountable for their work.
How does accountability improve teamwork?
Accountability encourages positive teamwork by creating an environment of trust and collaboration. When employees can hold each other accountable, it helps to create a sense of shared responsibility and encourages open communication. This in turn leads to better problem solving and decision making, which can ultimately result in more successful projects.