July 19, 2021
Accountability Matters
What do successful people and organizations have in common? Accountability. People who feel accountable for the results of their own actions and behaviors tend to have more control over those results. It’s important to avoid the “poor me” attitude, which can show up in behaviors such as blaming, excuses and defensive statements like, “it’s not my job,” or “it’s not our policy/practice.” This language is often used to shield against taking risks and accepting personal accountability, and affects productivity, engagement and overall success.
We each need to be accountable to ourselves, our team and the organization. The first step is to be aware of when we’re feeling accountable and when we’re not. Fortunately, there are tools to help us with this. The Accountability Ladder is one of those tools. When you’re lower on the Accountability Ladder, you’ll recognize that you’re more likely to make excuses and delay taking action. And when you’re at the higher levels, you’ll be more solution and action oriented.
Jocko Willink, retired Navy Seal Officer and author of the book Extreme Ownership, has written and spoken extensively about the importance of accountability. In sharing his experiences, he talks about how taking ownership is contagious to others. And when teams take ownership, they become unstoppable. Below is a short video of Willink explaining why this matters.