May 3, 2026
Sound Familiar? “We Need More Accountability”
Why stronger systems—not demands—improve manufacturing performance
Many manufacturers say the same thing when performance starts slipping: “We need more accountability.” But according to Beth Aldana, Operational Excellence Services Leader at WMEP, accountability isn’t something you can simply demand from people. “Accountability is really an outcome of everything else in the system,” Beth explains. “You can’t just tell people to be accountable. You have to create the structure that supports it.” For many manufacturers, the real issue isn’t motivation or effort—it’s the lack of systems that help people understand what success looks like and how they contribute to it.
Accountability Starts with Clear Expectations
One of the first questions Beth asks when a company raises concerns about accountability is simple: Do people actually understand what they’re responsible for? “Often people aren’t missing goals because they don’t care,” Beth says. “It’s because expectations haven’t been clearly defined or communicated.”
Employees need to understand:
- What the goals are
- How their work contributes to those goals
- How performance is measured
- What success looks like day to day
Without that clarity, accountability becomes guesswork. “Most people want to do a good job,” Beth explains. “They just don’t always understand what’s expected of them and how their role connects to the bigger picture.”
Where Do We Start? Build a Simple System
Strong organizations rely on systems—not individual heroics—to drive performance. That may sound simple, but Beth says it’s the foundation of operational excellence. The good news is the systems don’t have to be complicated. “Sometimes leaders say, ‘We don’t have time to build some big process,’ or ‘That sounds great, but where do we start?’” Beth explains. A practical starting point can be Managing for Daily Improvement (MDI), often referred to as tier meetings or Gemba meetings. These short, structured meetings help teams understand what success looks like each day and address problems before they grow.
These meetings help teams:
- Understand daily targets
- Review performance against those targets
- Identify problems early
- Escalate issues quickly when needed
Many companies begin meeting a few times a week as teams get comfortable with the process and eventually move toward daily discussions. “Ideal state is daily,” Beth explains. “It’s like playing a sport—if you’re not looking at the scoreboard regularly, it’s hard to adjust your play.” Over time, the system improves through a simple cycle: Plan. Do. Check. Act. “You try something, get feedback, adjust it, and keep improving,” Beth says.
The System Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Start
Beth recommends starting small. Rather than rolling out a system across the entire organization, begin with one value stream or department. It could be a value stream that is performing and can use incremental improvement, or it could be a department that is a problem area and needs immediate attention. “Which area to start in depends on the company, the situation, and how dedicated they are to digging in,” she says. “The point is to pick one area, try it, and learn from it.” Data is an important part of the process. Some companies already have performance data available and use it regularly, while others do not. But Beth says that shouldn’t prevent organizations from getting started. A common misconception is that companies need sophisticated data systems before they can manage performance—and that’s rarely the case. “In almost every plant I walk into, someone already has an idea of what should get done in a shift—and a good reason for it,” she explains. “It might just be in their head.” The key is making that knowledge visible so the whole team can use it. Even simple tracking—such as daily production targets—can create powerful insights. “Start with something basic,” Beth says. “What were we supposed to produce today? Did we hit it? If not, why?”
Bottom Line: You Can’t Demand Accountability—You Have to Build It
At its core, accountability isn’t about pushing people harder—it’s about giving teams the tools and structure they need to succeed. Without clear systems in place, problems tend to move up the chain and management ends up in constant firefighting mode. “With the right systems in place, teams can solve many problems themselves,” Beth explains. “That’s where you start seeing real ownership.” Beth emphasizes that accountability works the same way empowerment does—it has to be built into the environment. “You can’t just tell someone, ‘You’re empowered,’ and expect them to be successful,” she says. “The structure and expectations are critical to set them up for success.”