Accountability is NOT the same as being held accountable. Being held accountable comes from outside of us and is usually out of our hands. Accountability is what we have control over. It is something we do and something we offer of ourselves to those around us.
Accountability means that when we make mistakes, we want to know it and to fix them. This requires a willingness and the capacity to learn from the mistakes. Believing we have the capacity to act is also a form of accountability. Accountability is essential to learning. It also demonstrates respect!
Using Accountability
Start with a mistake. Start with something that went wrong. Start with an apology.
“A mistake is only a failure if you fail to learn from it.”
Every morning, have a colleague ask you, “what mistake did you make yesterday?” Discuss it, come up with some ways to do better, commit to reporting back the next morning. Then do the same for your colleague.
Discuss with the community what you will do to make a mistake turn out better. Request suggestions from the community. Then commit to doing the work necessary.
Maintain an attitude of problem solving and creativity. Figure out how to make progress relentlessly. Even when things are not going well, find the one thing you can do that day to push things forward. Document and track these things that you are doing—better, document and track what your colleagues are doing and then share these things weekly. Push the envelope and push forward.
Never stop learning.
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Related Topics
Patterns of Behavior and Mindsets
Using the RAFT
The Connecting Mindset
The Dividing Mindset
Three Spheres of Behavior
Messages through the RAFT
