Are You Accountable for Success?

The most common reference to accountability is when an agreement is broken or when there is a need to find someone to blame. We are quick to analyze who is the cause of the problem, so that we can "hold them accountable."

The most successful leaders and organizations, however, have made it a habit to "hold others accountable" for success – acknowledging oneself when it is appropriate, as well. This habit is about recognizing others in a positive manner for their effort, performance, effective communication and results. Sometimes it's a thank you and a "pat on the back," other times it's a promotion or a party.

Focusing on Mistakes – An Old Habit that Needs Changing

Do you remember taking spelling tests in school? In my time, if you were given 20 words to spell and you got 6 wrong, what was written at the top of your page? That's right, - 6. Do you remember the color of the pen in which it was written? That's right, RED.

Somehow, I never could avoid the negative feedback. I remember one test in which I answered all of the questions correctly, I got a -0. I was still dealing with a negative. The focus of the feedback was what you did wrong.

As I got older, I discovered that focusing on mistakes led me to higher levels of performance and excellence. I would identify areas needing improvement and then create a plan for improvement that involved getting trained, coached, mentored or studying on my own. As I "fixed" one area of weakness, I identified the next so that I could continue to improve. I didn't have time to focus on successes when there were still more areas to be improved upon or problems to be solved.

As a result, I learned to look for mistakes, problems and deficiencies. I didn't see the many examples of success, good effort or effective execution.

You Can't Build on a Minus

Metaphorically, when you build on a -6 you get more minuses. Even if you improve, by two you receive a -4. Notice the difference when the same scores are reversed in approach. You are now moving from 14 correct to 16 correct. And, the next goal might be 18 correct. You are in a mode of building on success.

While you can improve yourself by focusing on mistakes and resolving those issues, there are many drawbacks when acknowledgement is missing:

• No amount of success is ever enough – you just keep looking for the next problem to be solved
• You are prone to discouragement from the endless effort to correct mistakes or resolve issues
• You don't feel valued or appreciated for your contribution in either effort or performance
• You may even question whether your good performance is, in fact, good – you can lose confidence in yourself
• You get "burned out" on improvement, since there is no apparent reward and no end in sight
• Successful improvements become harder and harder to sustain, whether referring to your diet, your new organization system or the use of your new communication skills

Success Breeds Success

Whether you are complimented on a hair style or on how you organized a project, what will you tend to do the next time you get your hair styled or placed as a leader on a project? Perform to match the previous compliment. And, as you take on a small challenge and achieve success, what are you now open to doing? Taking on a slightly bigger challenge.

Building on success is based on the concept that receiving 14 out of 20 encourages you to go for 16, and receiving a 16 encourages you to strive for 18. Building on success doesn't mean we ignore the mistakes, challenges or areas needing improvement. It just suggests that we can use our strength and confidence to address those opportunities for bettering ourselves and moving to our next level of excellence.

One of the most important criteria for choosing a mentor, coach or therapist is that they "see" us – our better self. Why? Because they can challenge us in our areas needing improvement by building our strengths. They provide encouragement, reflecting our greater potential and acknowledging us when we achieve success. This is the role we can play with others on our team. But, it begins with acknowledging others value and contribution.

Re-Defining Success

There is an exercise we use in our workshop, The Power of Personal Accountability, where participants are asked to identify two successes from three phases of their life – Preschool and Elementary School years; Teenage years; and Career years. Generally, twenty-five to fifty percent of the people have difficulty identifying the successes they had in their first phase of life, Preschool and Elementary School years. I had the same challenge until my oldest daughter, Sarah, taught me a major lesson in life.

Sarah was 3 years old at the time, and one night when I came home from work, she greeted me at the door with a drawing that she made just for me, her dad. She was so pleased with herself and so excited to give it to me. When I took it from her and looked at the picture, what I saw was one of her scribbles in blue.

At that moment, I realized that to her, this was a success. In fact, she was having all of kinds of successes including tying her shoes, making a friend, going to her first day at preschool, having a sleepover, riding a tricycle and the list goes on. Yet, I couldn't think of one success I had in those years? Why?

I realized that my definition of success was different than my daughter's. She viewed success as doing what she loved doing or doing anything for the first time. Even if she stumbled, like when she took her first steps walking, she considered it a success. In comparison, my definition of success was doing better than others or doing what was expected of me by others. And, under that definition, it was hard to think of any successes during the first part of my life.

I believe that being accountable for success means returning back to the original definition of success that most children have when they grow up until it gets conditioned by teachers, parents and peers. My daughter, at that time, had more of a sense of accomplishment than she has today. Now she participates in the hardest classes in school, receives good grades and works hard to excel in her hobbies. But, I am not sure she experiences herself as successful.

It's time to revert back to our old definition of success and bring a little more sense of acknowledgment and accomplishment to ourselves, our families and our workplace.

Acknowledging Success

Since regularly acknowledging others may be a new habit, begin the process as an experiment. As you acknowledge yourself and others notice any differences in behavior, communication or attitude that are demonstrated. As we end one year and begin a new one, it is a great time to reflect. But, don't forget, there is nothing like the present and it is good to acknowledge as you go.

5 Steps to Acknowledging Success in Yourself

1. What did you accomplish this year at home, at work, in your community or with your family?
2. What improvements did you make in your home, on your job, within your community or with your family?
3. What personal efforts did you make this year or are you in the process of focusing on?
4. What was the impact of any improvements or accomplishments on your level of self-confidence, self-trust or trust from others? How was that demonstrated?
5. Using the new definition of holding oneself accountable for success, what successes did you have this past week?

4 Steps to Acknowledging the Success of Others

1. Who do you know that has made an improvement in their communication, performance or attitude that you can acknowledge?
2. Who do you know that achieved one or more successes either at work, at school, in their family or in the community?
3. Who has assisted you this past year either through their belief in you, their encouragement, their guidance, their giving you an opportunity or their active support?
4. Who do you know that recovered from a major illness, major mistake at work, problem at school or conflict in their relationships?

To carry out the experiment, take this month to acknowledge the people you identified in the above set of questions with a compliment or expression of gratitude. Notice how you feel the more you do it, remembering that any change may feel awkward at first. Also, notice how they respond to you differently.

Most importantly, acknowledge yourself for taking the time to read this article and for taking action on this experiment not knowing what the outcome may be.

IMPAQ
9000 Sunset Blvd, Suite 525
Los Angeles, California
800 332 2251
contactus@impaqcorp.com