As a manager or an administrator, you may think that you don't need to be accountable to anyone. After all, you're the one in charge, right? Well, this is wrong! Accountability is essential for things to work well in any organisation whether you work in a school or a multinational corporation. It ensures that you're meeting your goals and objectives, following through on your commitments, and taking responsibility for your actions.

So who are you accountable to as a manager or an administrator? The answer is: a lot of people! Here are some of the groups that you may need to be accountable to:

Your boss: This is probably the most obvious one. As a manager, you're accountable to your supervisor or the person who oversees your work. They'll want to see that you're meeting your targets and achieving your goals. And I suppose that you had goals at the beginning of the year that you’re accountable for.

Your team: You're also accountable to the people who report to you. They'll look to you for guidance and support, and they'll want to know that you're leading them in the right direction. Feedback from them is usually helpful in knowing if you’re delivering on your responsibilities as a boss or not.

Your customers or clients: If your organisation provides a service or product, you're accountable to the people who use it. They'll want to know that you're delivering on your promises and meeting their needs. In a school, the parents would be the major customers or clients.

Your stakeholders: Depending on the nature of your organisation, you may have other groups of people who have a stake in your work. For example, if you work for a non-profit, you may be accountable to donors or funders.

So how can you be accountable as a manager or administrator? Here are some practices that can help:

Set clear goals and targets: Make sure that everyone knows what you're trying to achieve and how you plan to do it. This will make it easier to measure your progress and determine whether you're meeting your objectives.

Communicate regularly: Keep your boss, team, and other stakeholders informed about what you're doing and how things are going. This will help to build trust and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Monitor your progress: Keep track of your performance and be honest with yourself about how well you're doing. If you're not meeting your targets, figure out why and take corrective action.

Take responsibility: If something goes wrong, don't try to shift the blame onto someone else. Take ownership of the situation and work to make things right.

Get feedback: Ask your boss, team, and other stakeholders for feedback on your performance. This can help you to identify areas where you need to improve and make adjustments as needed.

As an administrator, I found that one practice that helped me to stay accountable was writing out my to-do list and letting my secretary or front desk officer have it. This way, she could walk into my office to ask me if I had completed my key tasks. This served as a reminder and a check, despite the fact that she was my subordinate. I also had to present periodic reports to the board, which of course would have to include my achievements. That also kept me on my toes.

In conclusion, accountability is crucial for managers and administrators to ensure they are delivering on their commitments, taking responsibility for their actions, and meeting their targets. By setting clear goals, communicating regularly, monitoring progress, taking responsibility, and getting feedback, managers can be accountable to their boss, team, customers, and other stakeholders.