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September 20, 2011 by Kristin Kaufman Leave a Comment

3 Ways To Be Accountable

Be An Accountable Employee

Most business executives relish the perceived power behind the word accountability.  For employees, accountability represents either a welcomed set of expectations that drive performance, or it becomes a marker that conjures up concerns of not being able to meet the expectation.

As business leaders, we are constantly trying to get the team to deliver. We use all sorts of techniques – all with varying levels of success.

A few thoughts:

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1.         Positional authority does not immediately presume the leader embraces accountability.

Being the big cheese in an organization means we are expected to lead. AND, we are to hold ourselves and others accountable. Many think that just by being in the seat we assume the role of holding others accountable. Whether we are leading executives in our company, students and teachers in a school, or volunteers on a common project, we must act as we wish them to act.  Humility, courage, and requests for feedback from our team become our best friends as leaders striving for true accountability.

2.         “What” questions drive awareness and change. I read an excellent book by Linda Galindo, The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success.  She touts an example of an executive who realized the need to stop pointing fingers and look to himself, first, as the person who was ultimately accountable. He repeatedly would ask himself four specific questions:

·         What is the problem?

·         What am I doing – or not doing – to contribute to the problem?

·         What will I do differently to help solve the problem?

·         How will I be personally accountable for the result?

These are powerful questions, which every one of us can use and from which we can grow. Look within first.

3.         As leaders, we own it. Period. As leaders, the ultimate responsibility is ours. We are to lead.  We communicate openly with our teams and explain the rationale for holding each other accountable. We achieve respected leadership authority by walking the talk and proving through our actions our commitment to being accountable, personally and collectively.

Every person owns their choices, their behaviors, and their actions. We are accountable. And true success, by any metric, begins and ends with personal accountability.

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Kristin Kaufman

Guest Post: Kristin Kaufman is founder of Alignment, Inc.™, formed in 2007 to help individuals, corporations, boards of directors and non-profits find alignment within themselves and their organizations. Alignment, Inc. is a unique services organization that works with companies and individuals to create sustainable success individually and collectively. Her past and current clients include Accenture, Hewlett-Packard, HMS, Frito-Lay, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Uplift Education, NYC Leadership Academy, and more.  Her first book – Is this Seat Taken? Random Encounters that Change your Life – is slated to appear in bookstores November 2011. Connect with her on Twitter via: @kristinkaufman During her 25 years of corporate experience, she held executive positions at Hewlett-Packard, Vignette Corporation and United Health Group.

Latest posts by Kristin Kaufman (see all)

  • Four Pillars: What It Takes to Succeed as a Leader - November 1, 2011
  • 3 Ways To Be Accountable - September 20, 2011

Filed Under: Managing Employees, Supervisor Tips and Strategies Tagged With: accountability in the workplace, accountable manager, how to be accountable

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