In Monday’s Biz $ense Blog we discussed the idea of accountability as a key to performance, and to growth. Unlike responsibility, it is not assigned to you with a new promotion or position; it is something you take upon yourself. Sure – it can and is often expected of you- though expectations of it do not necessarily make it so.
Accountability is about a personal choice, and the manner in which you conduct yourself. Some believe it’s a personal quality or attribute. Ultimately, accountability shows up as a steadfast reliability with, and to, others.
Here’s our 4 tips to get you an “A” in Accountability:
1. Make your choices and agreements thoughtfully. Over-committing and acquiescing lend to diluting accountability, as you can’t possibly keep up with everything, at least not for long and still perform well. This means you need to learn how to say, no, sorry… my plate is full; or, I’d love to but I am already committed…Please check back next time. With your boss, discuss what you are working on and the due dates – then negotiate what can be delayed to meet the new requirement.
RULE—Never make an agreement if you don’t intend to follow through.
2. Once you have given your word – keep it.
3. If you must break or renegotiate an agreement or expectation, immediately surface it (vs. ignoring it, overlooking it, or justifying it later through defensive reasoning. That makes for two mistakes, not just one!)
4. Own the results and outcomes- good or bad. Most errors are not deal-breakers; so, if things don’t go as well as planned, remember that what’s most important is lessons learned and improvement opportunities. Identify those and what you will do differently next time as a result.
Being accountable will ‘promote’ you, as your word and work will speak to it. This will differentiate you from many others (“the sayers” vs. “the make it so’ers”). And people will extend you trust and more opportunities. For businesses and organizations, individual accountability is critical for a culture of accountability – which is driver for producing results. And naturally, when accountable, there is a draw to improve in what we are doing…this lends to growth. We reference it as the cycle of accountability.
Here’s to yours!
Copyright 2010 Kubica and LaForest
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