Accountability can be challenging

Accountability is a funny thing.

It means one is responsible for the results of some activity. One can be “called to account” for the actions and results needed. It implies a counting up of results against what the person accepted responsibility to do.

For example, if you're going to eat a fish dinner tonight, someone has to catch the fish.

How do you hold yourself accountable for results?

To be accountable, you have to act.

I find that this can be a challenge sometimes for myself.

There are so many demands on my time and so many opportunities and things that pop up that I can get distracted. And I am a pretty focused person, so I see how much harder it can be for others with different brains and behavioral styles!

Management and business theorists, including Brian Tracy, have long suggested some basic principles that can help.

1. Know what’s important.
2. Set a limited number of goals to pursue at one time.
3. Put the big, important things first.
4. Keep the goals and tasks associated with those goals visible.
5. “Count up” the actions and results regularly.

Like this suggests, you have to know what’s important. The Sage power of Navigation helps with this by providing clarity without self-sabotaging thoughts or emotions or the swirl of the daily activities getting in the way. (If you’d like to know more about this from the Positive Intelligence toolkit, please let me know.)

Then, you have to act.

To act, you have to see your list of “to-do’s.”

Here’s a simple principle that works pretty well for me: Put your list of daily and weekly to-dos where you will see them and be reminded to do them.

The specifics of this will vary from person to person. I find that because I am very often looking at my calendar, adding tasks to go with the calendar is effective for me. Some people use a planner app or Outlook. Whatever disciplined system you have that works for you is good. Strengthen your ability to use that system.

In a leadership role, be sure to put your to-do’s for your employees where they will see them and be sure to check in each week (or as needed for the tasks) with an open-ended, positive, curious “How are you doing on these?”

Appreciate and reinforce successes, even if they are just doing their jobs. Address failures with a reaffirming statement and more questions, like: “These results are needed. (Or acknowledge if they aren’t.) What did you try? What are you going to do? What else could you do? By when?”

Ask “What help or support do you need?” without taking the responsibility for the result from the person.

Results count. How the person gets those results also counts. Support them on both and keep them accountable–counting up what they do and do not do–for both.

When done with a spirit of curiosity, compassion, playfulness, and eagerness to make things happen, accountability becomes easier. Boost your own accountability by maybe 5-10% this month and see what additional benefits you can obtain.

Give it a try.

As always, let me know what you think or schedule some time to chat if this article sparks ideas for you.

Counting on your success,

–Steve

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​P.S. - Last call for seats in my April class on Positive Intelligence®. This class starts Saturday, April 13 and runs through May 27, 2 hours a week and 15 minutes of practice/day. Please contact me or schedule a 30-minute demo​ if you are curious.

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