Accountability… Responsibility… Blame… Three words that strike fear into peoples’ hearts, frequently because they are confusing the first two with the third.
In fact, blame is really a lack of accountability, or a lack of responsibility. This very lack of accountability has been estimated to cost American businesses big time, to the tune of $10 billion a year!
What does this mean to you, personally?….
If you are not where you’d like to be in your life, do you ever blame it on your boss, the government and all its restrictive regulations, the economy, your co-workers, or perhaps even on life itself?
And if you are not where you’d like to be in your profession, do you ever have thoughts like these:
- It’s not fair.
- It’s not my job.
- I don’t get paid enough to do that.
- It’s not my problem.
- They aren’t doing it right.
Of course, it might not be your job. Yes, many industries have been adversely affected by the current economy. But, in general, what all these things have in common is either an attitude of blame, or an unwillingness to be accountable — two sides of the exact same coin.
“Every excuse I ever heard made perfect sense to the person who made it.”
― Dr. Daniel T. Drubin
When 200,000 Australian workers in the public and private sector were asked what they felt was the most important value in the workplace, accountability came out on top. It seems that although accountability is highly prized, many people believe it’s others who need to be more accountable – not them. They want leadership or management to be more accountable. They want government officials to be more accountable.
“When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else.” ― David Brin
Unfortunately, wishing for others to become more accountable is simply another, more subtle version of the blame game. If we can all agree that accountability is desirable, then it makes sense that it has to start somewhere, and that somewhere can only be with YOU!
One of the things BRODY Professional Development trains organizations in is creating a “culture of accountability” in the workplace. This raises the bar for the entire company in a variety of different areas, including attitude, performance, courage, and, of course, behavior. If lack of accountability is losing businesses money, then raising it has not just personal benefits, but also bottom line company benefits.
If you’d like more information about working with BRODY, please contact us. For more information about accountability, including some great exercises that will help you to assess your level, as well as ways you can enhance it, take a look at our mini book titled, what else… Accountability: Four Keys to Manage Success (Yours and Others)