Accountability: It’s not the Big Bad Wolf
Judgement. Obligation. Responsibility. Consequence. Are these some of the words that come to mind when you think about accountability? Well, think again.
Accountability can be your best friend
Accountability gets a bad rap sometimes, but it can be your best friend when you use it to your advantage. No one is going to force you to adapt an accountability plan to your life and work. But no one else is going to take care of your responsibilities for you, either.
Setting new goals is exciting! And so is creating a task strategy with realistic action steps. It gives you clarity on how your task calendar will look and shows you that your expectations are attainable.
When I guide my clients around developing accountability for themselves, I talk to them about owning their choice to honor their commitment and achieve their desired goals. You have to be willing to accept responsibility for what you decide to do or not do. And who suffers if you don’t get your stuff done? The same person who wins big if you do - YOU.
When you don’t have accountability
Now if you notice, I have not said anything about enforcing, insisting, or demanding. But if you’re still not sold, let’s take a look at the consequences of not having an accountability strategy:
• It’s too easy to play it safe and stay under the radar, settling for the status quo.
• Your expectations are unrealistic, but you don’t know that until you’re in the moment. Then it’s too late to rectify.
• Procrastination becomes the spreading weed in your accountability garden, and you have no idea how to get rid of it.
• When something unexpected derails your day, it sets you far behind because you’re already scrambling to catch up.
• You spend more time stressing out over what you should be doing next and how you’re going to find the time to do it - once you even figure out what the next thing is.
So words that should really come to mind with accountability are: Guidance. Structure. Reliability. Consistency. Preparation.
Accountability can help you
Here’s what accountability can provide if you choose to take part in it:
• You will know what you need to get done, how you will take action, and what results you are expecting. It diminishes the anxiety of flying by the seat of your pants and just winging it.
• It will eliminate the time and effort you spend on distracting activities and other unproductive behavior.
• When you are accountable for your actions, you learn to value your work. Accountability can strengthen your confidence in what you can actually accomplish.
• It allows you to turn failure into lessons, and improve your strategy for getting things done.
And let’s not downplay the celebration part, the real consequence of successful accountability. You’re just as accountable for any successes as you are for failures. So you should definitely set rewards for tasks you finish and goals you achieve.
A positive consequence can be your best friend because it reinforces and encourages positive behavior. Positive consequences are things we all enjoy.
If you want to really improve your accountability, join a group. Working in a group will expose you to people with different perspectives who will ask questions like: “Why is this important?” or “How does this action relate to your goal?” Being challenged like this motivates you to examine each goal and make sure it’s your best course of action.
In the end, accountability is a choice that helps you respect the limits of what you can get done, and then plan accordingly to realistically achieve your vision.
In my Path of Action Accountability groups, participants are building trust, improving performance, and getting honest feedback from others. Are you ready to choose accountability and its positive outcomes? Let’s talk.
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help:
Download my free weekly planning guide - it will help you become more intentional with your time, develop a clear action plan for your week, and ensure that you are focusing on activities that will move your business forward - Download Now
Join our next CEO Power Planning Session and spend two and a half hours ON your business. During this facilitated workshop, you’ll set and prioritize your next 12-week goals, break them down into an executable action plan and create a resource plan - Join the Wait List
Apply for the next Close the Gap Program and stay on track to achieve your most important goals. 1:1 support and guidance on prioritizing goals, creating a plan and putting structure and routines in place. Then 12 weeks of group support around execution - Apply today