Best Year Yet Accountability


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Not sure how to get the results you need?

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Accountability Principle

Being accountable means delivering what you promised, when you promised it. In addition, a person who is accountable has the courage to tolerate the interpersonal discomfort of speaking up when someone else does not do what he or she said they'd do. While there is a little gremlin in most of us that tempts us to lean on excuses rather than deliver the goods, we really hate it when others don't achieve what they said they would do.

Have you ever been in a meeting designed to review progress against a strategy or a set of objectives when too many of the attendees provide reasons for failure instead of the results they promised? Worse still, have you been in this kind of situation when no one questioned those who didn't deliver? The energy drops because of this lack of integrity and the failure of anyone to talk about what's happening - and not happening.

In the early days of Best Year Yet, we led workshops, facilitated meetings and provided training. They were inspiring services and
well received, but before long we realized that they were not nearly as effective as we'd hoped. That's when we took the strategic decision to lead only yearlong programs! Why? Because performance, thinking and culture cannot shift overnight. Accountability is a discipline and mindset that take time to develop on a team.

Since we've provided only yearlong programs, with Monthly Review Sessions, quarterly milestones and reviews, and online tracking software, the results of our clients have skyrocketed. People improve performance and paradigms when they are supported to be accountable over a sufficient period that new disciplines take
hold and the results shift. Our PRO software provides a neutral but transparent system for building accountability.

Many of our senior leadership teams have shown amazing courage by sharing their Monthly Goals and their results with a widespread group of direct reports and staff. That's accountability! And you can imagine how well these teams performed with this kind of self-inflicted pressure motivating them to demonstrate accountability.

In order to propagate a performance culture, it's necessary to raise awareness of the nature of our commitment. One mindset leads to success and another is a major block to improving performance.

There are two paradigms or approaches, which are observable in all organizations. Raising our awareness of these paradigms helps to explain the mental treacle in which we seek to achieve our plan, while pointing out clearly the size of the challenge that faces us. The more we are aware of this dynamic in ourselves, the more we can learn now to shift to the paradigm that will empower us to achieve our plan. To capture the hearts and minds of our people we must improve the culture in which we're seeking to achieve our top ten goals.

As we know, our thoughts and perceptions shape the results we achieve. The practice of accountability begins with our paradigm about delivering results.

One of the key lessons of transformation is that awareness brings its own reward. Start by discovering which paradigm guides your personal and collective level of accountability.

Following are descriptions of two performance paradigms, one of accountability and one not. Once people are aware of these distinctions, most of them naturally seek to move themselves to a higher level of commitment - Paradigm A.

Look at the descriptions below and make an assessment of which paradigm currently describes your performance. In thinking about your own commitment, be sure to use the information to discover where you are, rather than feel that someone would judge you to be weak if you admitted to having the second mindset.

The following two levels of commitment and accountability are observable in most company cultures. Compare the two approaches to discover where you are now.

Paradigm A

Our plan is a stretch.

It is nearly impossible.

However, I am going to make sure it is achieved -

NO MATTER WHAT!

This approach keeps your eye on the target and reacts to problems and challenges as part of the game - but keeps looking for ways to reach the goals, in spite of the apparent obstacles.

People with this approach are apt to say

What can I do about it? when they face a problem.

This paradigm is known as the RESULTS paradigm.

Paradigm B

Our plan is a stretch.

It is nearly impossible.

I am going to give it a good try,

BUT

We have a problem, e.g., with our product providers, the market, our bonus structure, sales management skills . . .

This approach focuses on obstacles and uses them as an excuse for failure. The focus shifts to the problems and the processes to resolve them rather than the goal to be achieved. People with this approach are apt to say,

Let me tell you what the problem is.

This paradigm is known as the REASONS or EXCUSES paradigm.

In order to practice the principle of Accountability and the mindset of Paradigm A, ask yourself and one another, What are we getting - REASONS or RESULTS? When you see that you are not getting the results you want because you have lapsed into Paradigm B, make a correction as soon as possible.

Your most powerful focus is to expand your ability to demonstrate Paradigm A. Then learn to inspire others to do the same. The question 'What are we getting?' is a powerful, but non-threatening question. Avoid the temptation of using Paradigm B as a Blame Gun in your team. As you can imagine, that does little to build a culture of performance and accountability.

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