ə-ˌkaun-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē
ac·count·abil·i·ty (noun)
The quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions
Someone needs to OWN the
Product, the Process and the Results.
While there is such a thing as Shared Responsibility …
there is no such thing as Shared Accountability.Shared Accountability is an oxymoron.
A lot of companies allow for too many chiefs to “own” one small aspect of the process, but they often ignore the critical fact that someone needs to OWN the Product, Process and RESULTS.
By process I mean everything from end-to-end. Someone needs to stand up and say “I own this” and then make it happen. If it doesn’t … Heads MUST roll. Reinforcing the maxim:
Actions have Consequences …
and so does InAction.
Perhaps Harry S. Truman said it best:
The Buck Stops Here!
Brutal Honesty
I first heard this term when I worked with Geoff Nyheim at Microsoft. He was an advocate of this mode of communication. Sure, it can be painful to hear the BRUTAL TRUTH, but it beats the alternative of mealy-mouth communication that ultimately doesn’t help the organization or the person succeed.
What can you do?
- Every Day … Seek to do things within your power and a few things BEYOND your power.
- Take a Stance … Make a Stand … OWN IT!
- Make a Difference
Accountability, Customer Centricity and Transparency
Brutal Honesty leads to the three things organizations need to get better at delivering results - Accountability, Customer Centricity and Transparency. This post focused on the first one. Follow on posts will address the next two.
Be Accountable!
If you cannot be accountable to a larger cause …
At least be accountable to yourself
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This is part of a new series of blog posts I am just starting called The Simple Series. Look for more from me and a collection of guest bloggers in the coming days. If you want to be a guest blogger drop a comment here or ping me at my other contact points – Twitter, Facebook , LinkedIn or email.
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