Creating a Bias for Personal Accountability

In a world where information overload is common, it can be challenging to assure each and every commitment is met. Yet meeting commitments is the very thing that builds credibility. Thus, credibility occurs when we practice personal accountability in the workplace.

So what does personal accountability really mean? It’s about holding yourself responsible for your commitments. There are many benefits to being personally accountable:

• Your standards of performance naturally increase because being accountable is not just about meeting a deadline. It’s about the pride you take in your commitment and assuring that whatever you are doing meets the expectations of those you serve.

• It is also about building trust and enhancing relationships. Gaining respect from others is a strong by-product. Think about people you know who are personally accountable. Do you respect them? Do you tend to rely on them?

• Personally accountable people are often recognized because they do what so many others don’t. They get things done when and how they say they will.

When we wrap the package, personal accountability is really all about being a strong personal leader, regardless of position or status.
The following five principles are sure to build personal accountability:

• Be conscientious in all you do. Being conscientious doesn’t mean taking on everything that is requested of you. Rather, you know your limits, take pride in your commitments, and give your best.

• Make reliability a top personal priority. This means that your follow through is impeccable. Follow through involves clear communication about expectations, challenges and deadlines. Think about when you plan something with a reliable person. You likely have confidence that the person will come through with whatever commitments they made. It’s a comforting feeling.

• Demonstrate Fervor in your actions. When conscientiousness and reliability are coupled with fervor, an individual’s credibility meter is favorably off the chart. We all want to deal with people who are optimistic, helpful, and actually get things done. Build fervor into your daily intentions to make everyday enjoyable and productive.

• Practice perseverance. Life is filled with challenges. When we meet those challenges with a penchant for problem solving, we overcome even the most difficult problems. That builds personal character, and we become the go-to people in all roles in life.

• Embrace the virtue of helping others. Over the long haul, our personal accountability is best utilized when we gain personal satisfaction from helping others. Not every issue is easy or welcomed. Sometimes we need to work through competing goals, but if you gain satisfaction from helping others, you will likely be passionate about your actions because letting others down is not an option.

Personally accountable people stand out in a crowd. They flourish. It speaks to the adage that what you give comes back to you. That is a win/win for everyone.

About the author:
Diane Allen, PCC is a professional certified coach, leadership development consultant and founder of the Strategic Leadership Academy (www.strategicleadershipacademy.com). She has spent the past twelve years helping senior leaders and middle managers build success by building their personal and organizational leadership skills. For a complimentary leadership assessment that provides insight on 8 key leadership competencies, please send an email to: info@strategicleadershipacademy.com and put “leadership assessment” in the subject line.