Strategize To Succeed
PC407 – Accountability In Life

       Welcome to the next episode of Strategize To Succeed™. Selectively applying the strategies which we discuss each week will help you as you progress from conditions to opportunities to successes.

       In today’s episode, we are focused on one of the most difficult tasks which we face in life, that is accountability to others and, most importantly, to ourselves.

      Of course, first let’s all understand the term itself, before we dissect it.

       The Merriam-Webster definition is only 13 words, but those 13 words can impact entire lives. As follows, the definition is: “an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.”

      That definition is interesting because it uses the word responsibility as part of the definition of accountability. And yet, there is a slight distinction. You may regard it as splitting hairs, but let’s review it just the same.

       In the article, “8 Habits to Build More Personal Accountability in Your Life,” by Connie Mathers (developgoodhabits.com, June 1, 2021), responsibilities are those tasks involved when you are “delivering on your promises . . .  being proactive with intentional and strategic follow-through . . . these tasks define other people’s expectations of you.” However, when you are accountable,  . . . “you accept the outcome that you’ve worked for . . . knowing that when your responsibilities are complete, you have to answer to someone for your work . . . having accountability involves making a commitment to feel empowered to accept ownership of your tasks.” Accountability applies regardless of whether the outcome of the completed work yields good or bad results.  

      Through all of this, you may not need me to tell you that the biggest hurdle is to be able to be accountable to yourself. You can always come up with a creative excuse for someone else, however, it is much, much harder to lie to oneself.

      You may find that you have a more pronounced need to address the lack of accountability in your life if you seem to “always have an excuse . . . blame other people for your shortcomings or mistakes . . . don’t follow through with your promises . . . you’re waiting for something, because once you have it, you know your life will be better . . . or you expect other people to fix your problems.”      

      Today, though, we’re going to look for ways to make becoming accountable to oneself a bit easier. The cornerstone of these changes is that you need to recognize that you are in charge of your own life. Perhaps think of yourself as the Chief Executive Officer, or CEO, of your life. That doesn’t mean that everything will go as you would hope. After all, every CEO has their problems. But, to be a successful CEO, the person has to take charge and own up to their own accountability. 

      Following Ms. Mather’s approach, here are a few more “habits” as she terms them, to increase your personal accountability.

      First, one needs to make a commitment to deciding their goals and how to achieve them. It then becomes more specific to include: “taking responsibility for all decisions and actions . . . listening and learning from feedback . . . learning from mistakes and taking corrective action . . . supporting your team in honoring their commitments and yours . . . being honest and genuine . . . and being reliable.”

      Second, be clear about what others expect from you to avoid misunderstandings.

      Third, understand the reality of your situation. This means recognizing your limitations and time constraints, and knowing when to say “no.” 

      Fourth, make your goals SMART, that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Break down the goals into small increments so that they are manageable and more likely to be successfully completed.

      Fifth, stop trying to blame someone else. Understand that as much as you may want to, you simply cannot control everyone else’s actions. Instead, just focus on your own behavior. And, if you make a mistake, which everyone does, be willing to apologize sincerely for it.

      Sixth, select small tasks and start holding yourself accountable for successfully completing them. Perhaps start with your personal care, such as regular trips to the gym, if that is your choice. And then continue practicing with larger tasks. The point is that you learn not to let yourself down. Eventually, you will be able to be accountable to others and know that you won’t let them down. List making can also be helpful to keep items from becoming overlooked.

      Seventh is to constantly seek feedback. Other than from a household pet, it is important to obtain feedback from others simply because the external world perceives us differently, and frankly is more direct, than we often are ourselves.

      Finally, it can be helpful to work with an accountability partner. This is a buddy, a peer, and the two of you work together to guide each other towards success by achieving goals and correcting issues that may arise. 

      So, within the four walls of your home, you have figured out all of these pointers and have drawn out the new and improved you. You understand that you are not yet finished, now it’s time to consider your accountability at work. 

      That’s not as difficult as it may seem. You have already done the hard work, now it is just the finishing touches which require a bit of modification.

      For that perspective, let’s turn our focus to an article by Gordon Tredgold which appeared in Inc. (inc.com, September 14, 2017) entitled, “7 Truths About Accountability That You Need to Know.” This article is slanted towards embracing accountability in the workplace by outlining the perspective on accountability to increase its understanding and implementation.

      “Accountability starts with you,” That should be easy for you, after all you have already internalized the fundamentals of accountability. The point made by Mr. Tredgold is that you need to show to the business the same type of behavior which you want to see. And, in case that approach sounds familiar, you may find that a similar modeling approach applies when teaching children.

      “You are accountable.” That should be the lesson learned by every leader of every business. Such an accountability lesson applies perhaps even more so to any mistakes which arise, as well as to the presumed successes.

      “Accountability is not a one-time thing.” If, as a leader, you are not comfortable always being accountable, you should not be a leader. Accountability is a 24/7 obligation, and there is no legitimate way around it.

      “Accountability applies to one and all.” Accountability is an egalitarian process. That is, it should apply equally to every single person. If there are any deviations from the standard, it creates unnecessary disruptions within the staff.

      “Accountability cannot be delegated . . . The best way to get people to accept accountability is to set them up to be successful.”  Leaders must make certain that workers have what they need so that they are prepared to achieve a successful conclusion. Otherwise, there is no motivation for workers to assume their necessary accountability.

      “Accountability is the difference between success and failure.” If there is no accountability, as soon as a problem starts to emerge, the workers essentially jump ship and try to save themselves individually. If, on the other hand, workers understand that each person is being held accountable and a problem arises, they tend to work together to find a solution to the problem.

      “You have to hold people accountable.” Accountability requires consistent positive reinforcement because people forget and, let’s face it, accountability is hard. So, Mr. Tredgold advocates periodic status checks to review situations, needs, issues. The author notes that the purpose for these sessions is three-fold: to reinforce worker understanding that they will be held accountable; to offer any support should it be necessary; and to reinforce encouragement if the project is proceeding well.

      Any workable culture of accountability within an organization begins with one person, and then it spreads to others, before it can be considered a success.

      Thank you for sharing your time today. Remember, your application of strategic decision-making approaches can result in more beneficial outcomes for you, both professionally and personally. Why not turn that process into your opportunity?  

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