9Pictureyourselfinameeting.Supposethereareadozenpeopleseatedaroundatableandsomeonesays,“I’mgoingtoholdyouaccountableforwhatwe’vediscussed.”Whatwordsorfeelingsimmediatelycometomind?Fear?Threat?Youmaybethinking,“Uhoh,nowthereareexpectations.”Othersaroundthetablemayexperiencepressureorstress.Stillotherssensethetoneofthemeetingsuddenlyhaschanged–leadershipisgoingtobesearchingfora“gotcha.”Thistypeofnegativereactiontoaccountabilityhasbeenearned.Mostofushaveexperiencedtheword“accountability”aspunitive–a“punishment”fornotdoingsomething.ItisviewedaspunishmentbecausethataccountabilitytypicallylurksatthebackendoftheWHATISACCOUNTABILITY,REALLY?Hypocrisyexistsinthespacebetweenlanguageandaction.1WINNINGWITHACCOUNTABILITY10businessprocess.Accountabilityshowsupwhensomethinggoeswrongandpeoplestarttolayblame.Theystartpointingfingers.Inreality,winningbeginswithaccountability.Youcannotsustainsuccesswithoutaccountability.Itisanabsoluterequirement!Thesecretthatsuccessfulorganizationshavediscoveredistoinstallaccountabilityonthefrontendofinteractions…beforetheoutcomeisknown.Successfulorganizationsfront-loadaccountabilityintotheirstrategy.Whenfront-loaded,accountabilitybreedsbetterrelationships,eliminatessurprises,andvastlyimprovesjobsatisfactionandperformance.DefiningAccountabilityAccountabilityshouldnotbedefinedasapunitiveresponsetosomethinggoingwrong.Webster’sDictionarydefines“accountability”as“thequalityorstateofbeingaccountable;anobligationorwillingnesstoacceptresponsibilityforone’sactions.”Noticetheadjectivesdescribingaccountabilityinthedictionary:quality,obligation,willingnessandresponsibility.Doesthatsoundlikepunitiveresponsetosomethingthathasgonewrong?Ofcoursenot.Accountabilitymeanspreventingsomethingfromgoingwrong.So,asafirststepontheroadtocreatinganaccountabilityculture,wemustredefineandstreamline“accountability”tocarryamorepositiveconnotation:Accountability:“Clearcommitmentsthat–intheeyesofothers–havebeenkept.”WhatIsAccountability,Really?11Withthisnewdefinitioninmind,let’sputittoworkbyaskingyoutowritedowninthespacebelowtwocommitmentsthatareimportanttoyoursuccess.Oneforbusinessandoneforyourpersonallife.BusinessCommitmentPersonalCommitmentThankyou.We’llrefertotheselaterinthebook.Peopledealwithusbasedonwhattheythinkaboutus,notwhatwethinktheyshouldthinkaboutus.So,whenwemakeacommitment,wehavetofulfillthatcommitmentintheeyesofothers.Itisnotgoodenoughtofulfillthecommitmentinoureyes–wehavetofulfillthecommitmentintheeyesofothers.Thatisthetrickypart.Whenwe’reaccountable,itisnecessaryforustogotoourcustomers,oursuppliers,thepeopleweworkfor–andyes,thepeoplewhoworkwithus–andaskthem,“HowamIdoing?”Weallowthemtoholdusaccountable–intheireyes–forourcommitments.GrowingupinNewYorkCityduringMayorEdKoch’sadministration,Irememberthis:WheneverKochgreetedsomeone,WINNINGWITHACCOUNTABILITY12he’dsay,“Hey,I’mMayorEdKoch.HowamIdoing?”Heconstantlyaskedforfeedback.Hewasbeingaccountableinhisconstituents’eyes.WasEdKochthebestmayorinNewYork’shistory?Thatdependsonwhomyoutalkto,buthecontinuallyaskedforfeedback…andthevoterslovedit!Accountabilityis–firstandforemost–aboutbeingreliable.Togetagoodpictureofyourpersonalaccountability,youmaywanttoperiodicallyaskyourself,“CanpeoplecountonmetodowhatIsayI’lldo,asIsaidIwoulddoit?”Recently,atameetinginvolvingthepresident,chairmanofth...
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