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Just Getting More Done Isn’t the Point | Accountability Distinctions

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Distinctions on Accountability

Having worked with leaders from all walks of life and industries one topic that often brings a mix of desire and fear is accountability. High achievers CRAVE someone holding them accountable and those who lack confidence or fear they won’t stand up to scrutiny want to avoid it at all costs.

The challenge is that our relationship to accountability is linked to a fear of failure, criticism, and the constant feeling that we’re never getting enough done. But accountability isn’t about feeling bad about yourself, it’s about having an honest and powerful relationship with your word. It’s about getting invaluable feedback about what is and isn’t working in your life.

But getting there isn’t easy for most people so here is the first of five distinctions on accountability that can help you be true to your word, be honest about your level of commitment, and improve your integrity with others.

Read part one. Read part two. Read part three.

Part 4: Just Getting More Done Isn’t the Point

Most people admit that accountability works wonders for getting things done, especially the things that are the hardest to do, and yet most people still resist being held accountable. The reason is simple, when we don’t do something we commit to, we look bad, and people don’t like to look bad.

Part of why accountability works is that there’s some mental and social pressure that helps counterbalance the resistance you feel to doing hard work.

The far end of this spectrum is seeing failure to do hard work as a moral failing. Basically confusing “I failed” with “I suck”. Yes you may have failed. You may have even failed because of some laziness or torpor, but thinking you suck helps no one, ever.

Accountability is a measure of performance. That’s it. The car either does or doesn’t go 60 miles an hour in 10 seconds. Morality is not measured that way.

We don’t think a car is evil because it has a bad spark plug. We see that it’s got a problem that we need to address if we want to improve the performance.

Accountability should be the same way. The focus is on how to improve performance. Whether someone is a good or bad person should never be in question. If you get into this as a team you’ve got problems, if you get into this as an individual stop it! Get back to the performance and remember that Mother Teresa could never have beaten Usain Bolt in a race, but that doesn’t make her a worse person.

Don’t Confuse Accountability With Morality or Self-Worth

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Distinctions on Accountability

Having worked with leaders from all walks of life and industries one topic that often brings a mix of desire and fear is accountability. High achievers CRAVE someone holding them accountable and those who lack confidence or fear they won’t stand up to scrutiny want to avoid it at all costs.

The challenge is that our relationship to accountability is linked to a fear of failure, criticism, and the constant feeling that we’re never getting enough done. But accountability isn’t about feeling bad about yourself, it’s about having an honest and powerful relationship with your word. It’s about getting invaluable feedback about what is and isn’t working in your life.

But getting there isn’t easy for most people so here is the first of five distinctions on accountability that can help you be true to your word, be honest about your level of commitment, and improve your integrity with others.

Read part one.
Read part two.

Part 3: Don’t Confuse Accountability With Morality or Self-Worth

Most people admit that accountability works wonders for getting things done, especially the things that are the hardest to do, and yet most people still resist being held accountable. The reason is simple, when we don’t do something we commit to, we look bad, and people don’t like to look bad.

Part of why accountability works is that there’s some mental and social pressure that helps counterbalance the resistance you feel to doing hard work.

The far end of this spectrum is seeing failure to do hard work as a moral failing. Basically confusing “I failed” with “I suck”. Yes you may have failed. You may have even failed because of some laziness or torpor, but thinking you suck helps no one, ever.

Accountability is a measure of performance. That’s it. The car either does or doesn’t go 60 miles an hour in 10 seconds. Morality is not measured that way.

We don’t think a car is evil because it has a bad spark plug. We see that it’s got a problem that we need to address if we want to improve the performance.

Accountability should be the same way. The focus is on how to improve performance. Whether someone is a good or bad person should never be in question. If you get into this as a team you’ve got problems, if you get into this as an individual stop it! Get back to the performance and remember that Mother Teresa could never have beaten Usain Bolt in a race, but that doesn’t make her a worse person.

We Choose The Wrong Things To Be Accountable For

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Distinctions on Accountability

Having worked with leaders from all walks of life and industries one topic that often brings a mix of desire and fear is accountability. High achievers CRAVE someone holding them accountable and those who lack confidence or fear they won’t stand up to scrutiny want to avoid it at all costs.

The challenge is that our relationship to accountability is linked to a fear of failure, criticism, and the constant feeling that we’re never getting enough done. But accountability isn’t about feeling bad about yourself, it’s about having an honest and powerful relationship with your word. It’s about getting invaluable feedback about what is and isn’t working in your life.

But getting there isn’t easy for most people so here is the first of five distinctions on accountability that can help you be true to your word, be honest about your level of commitment, and improve your integrity with others.

Read part one.

Part 2: We Usually Choose the Wrong Things To Be Accountable For

There are two tricks most people employ at accountability meetings. They commit to things that they already know they’ll get done. They commit to several things that are all ‘important’

But the most important things to create accountability around are those things that are truly vital for success and are for which some resistance or obvious challenge exists.

Sometimes these aren’t the same things. Sometimes the most vital things are the things you would do anyway, in which case being accountable to them is still valuable.

But if you want to get the most out of accountability the key is to find the places where there are weak spots or places where you’re unsure or blind about the process.

When you bring these things into an accountability conversation that’s when you start to get real traction from this type of work, because it brings your attention to the gaps where your best work goes to die.

In addition, don’t pile on LOTS of things to be accountable to. The process of choosing what’s truly important is JUST as important as getting done what’s most important. I limit most of my groups to ONE item that will move their business forward. When they bring two I ask them which one matters more.

When I lead teams I limit them to 3 priorities a quarter. Yes technically I could fit four on the PowerPoint slide, but after doing strategy with various teams over the years few of them complete 3 major initiatives each quarter. Usually, when they commit to four they get one of them done really well.

It can be hard to choose what matters, and of course you can always get more done, the POINT of practicing accountability is to get more vital things done. Things that have an impact. So the more clear you can get on what really matters the more you’ll get out of accountability.

Accountability Is Different From Responsibility

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Distinctions on Accountability

Having worked with leaders from all walks of life and industries one topic that often brings a mix of desire and fear is accountability. High achievers CRAVE someone holding them accountable and those who lack confidence or fear they won’t stand up to scrutiny want to avoid it at all costs.

The challenge is that our relationship to accountability is linked to a fear of failure, criticism, and the constant feeling that we’re never getting enough done. But accountability isn’t about feeling bad about yourself, it’s about having an honest and powerful relationship with your word. It’s about getting invaluable feedback about what is and isn’t working in your life.

But getting there isn’t easy for most people so here is the first of five distinctions on accountability that can help you be true to your word, be honest about your level of commitment, and improve your integrity with others.

Part 1: Accountability Is Different From Responsibility

The purpose of being accountable is to account for the state of something. An accountant doesn’t make money for a business, it simply tracks that money and offers insight into the performance. While some accountants advise, their #1 job is to report on the state of the money.

The same is true inside teams and even inside your life. Being accountable means simply being honest about the state of the things you say you will do. Good accounting reveals hidden patterns, places where energy and time is wasted, and where your real interests and commitments lie.

To be responsible for something means to play some part in the creation of something. To stand for it to exist and to work towards some goal or metric. If you are going to have a baby, both parents are responsible for that baby, but really the mother is more responsible because how she cares for her own body has a direct impact on the health of the fetus.

In truth though, the most accountable person before a baby is born is the OBGYN, because they are the ones with the vital knowledge and information to understand if the baby is developing in the way it needs to in order to have the best chance of surviving to term.

If you’re going to practice accountability it’s important to understand that your #1 job is to be honest about the state of things. The person or people responsible may hope you will let them get away with poor performance (esp. if that person is you) but your job is to be honest even if it’s hard so that those responsible can take whatever actions they need to keep moving towards the goal.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog: Part 2: We usually choose the wrong things to be accountable for.