Encourage and Expect Individual Accountability
Author: Dennis R. Kyle

Encourage and Expect Individual Accountability is a necessity in life as it is in business. I have yet to find a business professional, athlete, or parent who maintains a high level of integrity, honesty, and success without understanding this law. One of the most difficult things is to say, “I’m wrong?or take responsibility for misconduct

Over the last six years, PositiveResults.com has conducted research on sales department effectiveness. This research has led to the 14 Irrefutable Laws of Achieving Your Ultimate Sales Goal ?Higher Profit. Law eight ?Encourage and expect individual accountability ?applies to executives, basketball player, sales professionals, teachers and moms alike. Accountability is an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for our own actions.

As with any set of laws, they seem to be common sense if you learn them but they quite probably effect you whether you know them or not. Take a moment to evaluate the Law Of Universal Gravitation: Two bodies attract each other with equal and opposite forces or even the 10 Commandments. They all have important value and consequences. Not following these laws in a positive manner may be painful or even devastating.

While working with a small business, a partner seriously took advantage of the business. When I approached Carol about her performance, she depersonalized her response by blaming the company’s lack of success on a variety of conditions ?none having to do with her own performance. Being accountable does not mean taking the blame for everything that goes wrong. However, it does mean quietly evaluating all situations which you are involved and deciding how you affect your environment.

It is important to understand how to be accountable and produce accountability in others. If you are not able to take responsibility for your own actions, how can you expect others to possess the same qualities?

When embracing self-accountability, an interesting phenomenon occurs ? it becomes contagious spreading to others and promotes goodwill among all people. As accountability becomes interwoven in your daily behavior, your counterparts and staff will see your actions as a sign of strength. They too will then find it easier to demonstrate self-accountability in their daily lives. Accountability a Five-step Process Being fully accountable is a five-step process.

1. Be Aware ?Stay focused on the world around you. It is easy to get wrapped-up in your own life and fail to understand the repercussions of your actions. Remember the words you use, the body language you demonstrate, and the activities you choose have either a positive or negative effect on others.

2. Identify Changes ?Pete, a sales professional, came to me frustrated at his lack of business. Pete said it was the soft economy, moving gas prices, and the market’s unwillingness to purchase. Pete never mentioned any personal issue he could change to improve his performance. Yet later I learned he had been having some problems at home affecting his relationships with clients. Instead of self-analyzing and understanding what Pete could do to improve, he blamed the difficulties on other issues outside his control.

Self-reflection and taking action to change behavior improves performance. If you have failure in your life, take a moment to reevaluate and find a new solution. Even if you don’t feel the problem is you. Accept responsibility. Identify Changes.

3. Verbalize Acceptance ?There is nothing more frustrating than knowing someone has messed-up and won’t admit the mistake. Being able to accept responsibility verbally is a difficult thing to do; however, it instantaneously improves credibility.

There is nothing wrong in making mistakes, experiencing occasional complacency, or even downright doing the wrong thing even if you knew better. The problem arises when you cannot accept the consequences for your actions. The verbalization process is an important phase of cleansing your mind and soul.

4. Create Resolution ?The next phase of cleansing the mind and soul is performed by deciding to fix the problem or modify the behavior. Verbalization is terrific but by itself it is not true accountability. Whatever situation you are faced with ? you must create a solid resolution. Creating meaningful solutions are important personally and professionally. Solutions make the foundation. This foundation allows you to create closure and help others feel confident with you and your organization.

5. Self Examination ?The final phase of accountability allows you to learn from the experience. Self-growth occurs when you use the situation as enlightenment for future endeavors. If you’ve gone through a painful situation and did not take the time following the event to learn from it, you will suffer from the same issue again.

A child doesn’t have experience with stoves or pans. They have no idea that the pan is easy to tip over and that the stove is hot. The parent can continue to protect the child from the hot pan but at some point the child usually touches it. After immediate discomfort, the child logs the feelings and pain associated with the activity. This self-reflection prevents them from making the same mistake twice.

Unfortunately, the repercussions of actions taken today may take place hours or weeks later. The time between cause and effect doesn’t allow us to easily put the action together with difficult ramification thus learn the intended lesson. You must make a conscious effort to learn from your experiences.








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Dennis R. Kyle is a national speaker, b2b sales consultant, and author with a monthly Free ezine available at www.PositiveResults.com/monthly_newsletter

For more information call 1.800.9256.5953 or visit www.PositiveResults.com

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