Accountability

What Works - What Doesn't

When it comes to getting more work done, sometimes I hear these questions and I'm embarrassed to say that occassionally I even think some of these questions.

--Who dropped the ball?
--When will I be appreciated?
--Why is this happening to me?
--Why do we have to go through all this change?
--Who left the peanut butter out?

According to John Miller, author of QBQ: Question behind the Question, practicing Personal Accountability these are all questions that indicate the organization in question is not using personal accountability as a core value in their culture.

Let's just talk about the dropped ball. This is part of the blame game and as a manager, the first response is to make sure the job was clearly assigned.

--If I'm asking "who dropped the ball", I'm going to review if I did a good job of delegating. Why? Because, if I had, I'd know who dropped the ball, dealt with that individual and gotten the project back on track. (Note: sometimes a ball dropper is in the wrong position or maybe even on wrong team - that is the job of a manager to assess and correct.)

--If I am part of a team and I dropped the ball - let's hope I have a team member that values the project and intercedes and asks the question "How can I help?" or "What can I do to help get this back on track?"

--If I am on a team that someone has dropped the ball, my personal accountably should do two things.
1. Asking the responsible person "How or What can I do to get this back on track?" or
2. If it is critical or urgent - doing what needs to be done and then seeking to correct the problem.

When Japanese manufacturers in the 1950s started allowing any assembly worker to stop the assembly line for a correction, the process was corrected and the team members were seen as being personally accountable ultimately to the customer. This was not a negative but a positive response to quality.

Making personal accountability part of your culture is a way to maximize the possibilities of your business. Staying out of the "Blame Game" will be key.

Copyright 2010 Linda Fayerweather
Is what you are doing right now helping you achieve your goals? If not. . . stop doing that!
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Conscious Entrepreneurs are Accountable
Many people cringe at the mere mention of the word accountability. They conjure up images of being judged, coming up short, and then having to bear the consequences of failing to perform as expected. However, that's not the purpose of accountability when thought of in the context of conscious entrepreneurship.

Instead, accountability can be a cornerstone for improving overall personal and business performance by developing and promoting change within a culture that embraces continuous growth. For conscious entrepreneurs, accountability is a value that is more about awareness of what needs to change or what is working or not working, than it is about judgment.

Stephen Covey had it right when he said "Accountability breeds response-ability." When you hold yourself accountable to take certain actions, for example to make 5 appointments a day, you can review your activity, at the end of the day, as part of your accountability process and with this knowledge, you can respond. If you didn't make the 5 appointments, you can analyze your activity to see how to improve, you might decide that a goal of 5 a day is too many or perhaps there's something you could tweak in your approach, etc. If you don't hold yourself accountable, you will miss the insights that you gather through your daily accountability analysis and also miss opportunities to grow and change.

Incorporate accountability into your life by choosing two or three small new behaviors that will enhance your life or business and at the end of the day, face the truth. Did you take the new actions? If not, why? If yes, celebrate! What can you learn from the process?

"It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable."- Moliere

Copyright 2010 Pat Altvater
Transforming Bodies and Minds
http://www.outsmartweight.com/
http://www.momsoutsmartingobesity.com/
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