The Accountability Guy®
In your work experience, you might have worked in an organization that was ridden with broken promises, blame games, missed deadlines, and more. This happens at workplaces that struggle with accountability.
Accountability is the sauce of successful teams. Not only is accountability an essential quality to have at work, but also in life. Accountability is when you accept a hundred percent personal responsibility for your actions and decisions.
Successful teams and companies can’t thrive without accountability. Accountability in the workplace creates more robust relationships, healthier working spaces, and more productive teamwork.
Let’s look into how you can promote accountability in the workplace.
Probably, many of you aren’t accountable as leaders or employees is simply because you haven’t defined it correctly. Accountability isn’t some form of tyranny or autocracy deployed by companies. It is the willingness to take responsibility for that which is expected from you.
Herny Evans defined the term brilliantly in his book ‘Winning With Accountability.” He writes, “clear commitments that – in the eyes of others – have been kept.” The most critical part to note in this line is “in the eyes of others.”
When you deploy accountability at your workplace, you not only make clear commitments and but also maintain transparency between other teammates and leaders.
Let’s see how you can deploy accountability in your work and life.
The first place to start accountability is from the self. As a team member, you have to be willing and dedicated to being held accountable by others. Make clear notes on the two commitments essential for you to progress in life and work.
This principle applies to leaders and managers even more. Employees will be more accountable when they see their leaders being responsible to others. It inspires the team when the top 1% of the organization takes ownership and is transparent about their commitments.
When you look for ways to be accountable, develop an internal locus of control. They believe they are responsible for their mistakes, broken promises, and actions. People without this internal locus tend to blame others for their setbacks.
Unclear expectations are another reason why companies struggle with accountability. For example, if you’re a sales manager, and you tell your team member, “meet XYZ target in the best way possible.”
Something like “meet XYZ target in the best way possible” is a vague expectation. ‘Best way possible’ might mean something entirely different to the person who is expected. This behaviour creates an accountability gap.
If you’re holding someone accountable for work, be crystal clear of what is expected from them. Saying something like, “I want you to close 30 sales in next three days by 8.00 pm. Let me know if you need help.”
The most common place to create accountability gaps is during team meetings. Leaders must define action items clearly to the assignee. Not doing so makes the action item unspecific and ambiguous, resulting in unproductive work and irresponsible behaviour.
Many leaders within organizations have the attitude of considering all of the employee’s setbacks as excuses. Leaders need to create a safe space for the employees to talk about their problems.
Employees feel safe when their leaders take an interest at a personal level in their goals. The respect has to be mutual.
As a leader, you have to confer trust on your employees. Even if an employee is lying, he will feel bad about lying to your about his actions the second or the third time. When you deploy trust unreasonably, accountability spurts out from the other person. It arouses disgust within an employee to lie and not be accountable.
Learn more about psychological safety from here.
Henry Evans developed an accountability puzzle to create accountable actions and dialogues.
There are four pieces to the puzzle.
The only way to create a successful and healthy workspace is by mastering accountability. When you and your team bridge gaps between goals and implementation through accountability, you increase your chances of success and attain better results.
Start being accountable from today!
In the fields of leadership, personal development, and responsibility, Darren Finkelstein, popularly known as The Accountability Guy®, is a shining star. His story is one of perseverance, self-reinvention, and the deep metamorphosis he has attained by elevating responsibility to the status of superpower.
Darren has carved up a remarkable career for himself as a dynamic author and speaker, international accountability coach, advisor, mentor, and mentor that cuts across borders and industries. His influence extends beyond New Zealand and Australia to the many cultural contexts of Europe, Asia, Latin America, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Darren has emerged as a key figure in the lives of high-achieving individuals and teams thanks to his creative coaching courses, which help them reach their objectives and realize their full potential. Darren’s bestselling book “The Accountability Advantage – Play your best game,” which establishes the foundation for his lessons, is at the center of his methodology. As interest in his next book, ‘NO’-Building a life of choice without obligation,” which is due out later this year, grows, Darren never stops inspiring and encouraging people with his distinct perspectives on accountability.
Darren uses a simple but effective method: Get Clarity on what needs to be done first, Get Started on what needs to be done next, and Get Sh*t Done by knowing what needs to be done more of. Under Darren’s leadership, this strategy has helped innumerable people and groups burst their objectives like glass piñatas, unleashing their aspirations and utilizing the accountability superpower.
As Apple Australia’s Manager of Commercial Markets during the ground-breaking Steve Jobs era, Darren made a substantial contribution to the company’s history. Afterwards, before beginning his coaching and mentoring career, Darren and his business partner successfully sold and exited their lifestyle companies. Darren’s depth as a coach is enhanced by his rich background, which combines technological understanding with innovative accountability techniques.
Darren Finkelstein provides hope and a road to success for people who want to use accountability to improve their personal and professional lives. Accompany him on this transformative quest to accomplish the remarkable. Read Darren’s full Bio here:
Read Darren’s full Bio here: https://tickthoseboxes.com.au/
Know what to do first
know what to do next
know what to do more of
"You can't buy happiness, but Getting Stuff Done is pretty much the same thing"
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