Accountability with Excellence Presented by Robbie Northrop and Lauren Wiebe

Open with prayer

Devotion

Are you doing your best for God? Understanding the Kairos core value of empowerment while building accountability.

What is accountability? When we accept the responsibility of being a Kairos volunteer, we become accountable for our actions. Definition of accountability : the quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions

What is empowerment? Definition of EMPOWERMENT : authority or power given to someone to do something; the process of becoming stronger and more confident

Where does our empowerment come from?

God First and foremost, our empowerment comes from God. He gives us talents and abilities that we can use for Him, through His ministry.

God God empowers us as His volunteers in the ministry.

God Kairos Prison Ministry International As Kairos volunteers, our empowerment also comes from Kairos Prison Ministry International. Kairos Prison Ministry International

God Kairos Prison Ministry International Once we have been empowered, we are then able to empower others. Kairos Prison Ministry International

“The Wise Woman’s Stone” We each have so much to give to each other! We can mentor new volunteers (and even experienced ones), ever striving for a level of excellence.

Why strive for excellence? Consider the question, “Why should we strive for excellence?” That sounds hard and maybe unattainable. Why won’t “good enough” do?

Why strive for excellence? Our quest for excellence honors God. First of all, our quest for excellence honors God. If we’re not willing to do our very best for God, who are we willing to do it for? Shouldn’t we be striving for excellence in all things related to Him?

Why strive for excellence? Our quest for excellence honors God. If we’re not willing to do our very best for God, who are we willing to do it for? Ponder that question for a moment.

Why strive for excellence? Our quest for excellence honors God. If we’re not willing to do our best for God, who are we willing to do it for? We must be intentional in everything we do. Striving for excellence requires INTENTIONALITY. We must be intentional in everything we do. Excellence is not achieved by approaching things haphazardly or lackadaisically. We must be intentional as we move forward. 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Empowerment while building accountability Empowerment is one of the Core Values of Kairos: “While we empower the local volunteers to conduct the ministry, we are accountable to excellence and performance at the highest standards and authority of the ministry. We empower Guests or Participants to be accountable for their lives and be transformed by Jesus Christ.” www.mykairos.org

Accountability begins with us. Accountability begins with us, the volunteer. If we are not accountable, we are unable to hold others accountable. Accountability means objectively being held responsible for our actions by others. Accountability involves our successes, but also is applied to our failures. We must be able to answer for them all with transparency, honesty, and integrity. Not only should we open ourselves to being held accountable, but we are also called to hold our brothers and sisters accountable. When we set the example of accountability, the participants follow in our footsteps. Like all behaviors, people that look to us will likelier take heed if we are living the example that we are asking them to follow. I believe the common idea of this in the Kairos community is that we should be conducting ourselves in the same manner in which we expect the residents to conduct themselves. Are we really Walking the Talk?

How do we hold ourselves accountable? Our accountability begins with not only following the rules and riverbanks of Kairos during the weekend, but in living out the fourth day. How can we encourage or expect the participants to participate in Prayer & Share, SWAP meetings, or Mentoring if we ourselves are not doing it? Our actions speak louder than words. We are not good role models if we simply talk the talk but don’t walk the talk ourselves. We lose our credibility. We must also show up for Reunions or Mentoring visits. Kairos is not just a nice weekend. It is the beginning of the rest of our lives.

Kairos Prison Ministry empowers its volunteers by providing tools

Kairos Prison Ministry empowers its volunteers by providing tools We are given Program Manuals: It seems obvious to say that we should become familiar with the Program Manual, but there are many volunteers who do not. These provide the structure and the riverbanks of the ministry.

Team meetings provide the opportunity to meet together, to bond as a spiritual family, and to grow together in Christ. Missed or late team meetings mean that we are less bonded and not as strong a model of a Christian community as we could be to those whom we serve. Team meetings are not only important because they teach us about Kairos. If that were the case, once we had done a few Kairos weekends, we could skip the team meetings. They are important because they bring us together in unique Christian community. They continue to help us “walk the talk.” Team meetings should be a top priority for us. Hebrews 10:24-25  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Advisory Councils are an important part Every Kairos program must have an Advisory Council overseeing it. If you are an Advisory Council member, become familiar with the Advisory Council Operating Procedures. It is one of your guides to accountability with excellence. Advisory Councils oversee Weekends, choose Weekend Leaders, and make sure things run smoothly. Without a full and active Advisory Council, the Kairos program cannot function as it was meant to. This means that the experience will not be as wonderful as it should be for everyone involved.

State Chapter Committees oversee Advisory Councils If you are a State Committee member, you should be familiar with the State Chapter Committee Operating Procedures. Every Advisory Council has a representative on the State Committee.

The Chain of Accountability God Kairos Prison Ministry International State Chapter Committee We are all accountable to each other and to God. Within Kairos, there is a hierarchy of accountability. Advisory Council Accountability Volunteers Empowerment

7 Truths About Accountability That You Need To Know by Gordon Tredgold, Founder and CEO, Leadership Principles https://www.inc.com/gordon-tredgold/7-truths-about-accountability-that-you-need-to-kno.html Accountability starts with you Leadership defines culture, and if you want to create a culture of accountability, then it starts with you. You need to model the behaviors that you want to see in your organization. If you want people to take ownership, then you have to be seen to take ownership, when you make commitments you have to be seen to meet those commitments. If you don't, then why should anyone else be interested in doing so? You have to walk the talk if you want others to follow you down the accountability path.

Accountability is not a one-time thing You are accountable As the leader you are accountable. You're accountable for any failures, as well as any successes that your organization may have. Accountability comes as part of the job description, which is why, if you try to duck it, it will have a negative impact on the levels of accountability that already exist. Accountability is not a one-time thing Accountability is not a one-time, some time thing; it's an all- time thing. Those people who don't want to be accountable, or held accountable, are always looking for any opportunities to get out of it. Any slips or gaps in your accountability will give them the out they need, to only be accountable when they see fit.

Accountability applies to one and all When you're looking to hold people accountable you cannot play favorites; you cannot let it slide with some people. Accountability has to be consistently requested of everyone, all the time. If you chose to let one person ignore his/her accountabilities then it opens the door for others to be selectively accountable too. Accountability cannot be delegated You cannot delegate accountability. Accountability is something that has to be accepted for that person to feel accountable and to have him or her take ownership. The best way to get people to accept accountability is to set them up to be successful.

Accountability cannot be delegated (continued) No one is going to take ownership and show accountability for something that they know, or believe, is going to fail. If you want people to accept accountability, ask them if they have everything they need to be successful. When they say yes, they have taken a big step towards accepting accountability. If they say no, then you need to make sure you provide whatever is missing, because without it they will never accept accountability. Accountability is the difference between success and failure When people don't take accountability and things start to go awry, if they don't feel ownership they go into spectator mode and watch as things fail. If they thought it would fail from the outset it's even worse; they go into I told you so mode, which nearly always becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You have to hold people accountable Accountability is the difference between success and failure (continued) Whereas when people take ownership, if things start to go wrong, then they step into solution mode. They start to try and figure out what’s going wrong and try and fix it. Teams that are successful are full of people that go into solution mode. They are full of people who not only care but take care. In my experience, accountability is the single biggest differentiator between successful and unsuccessful teams. You have to hold people accountable You can't just tell people they're accountable, and then leave them to it. Yes, it may work for some, but not for all. You need to set up review sessions; you have to check in and see how people are doing.

You have to hold people accountable (continued) This serves three purposes: It lets them know that they will be held accountable for the activities. It gives you an opportunity to provide support in case things start to go awry. It offers you the opportunity to offer praise and encouragement to move people further if things are going well. Accountability is something that has to be worked at. There has to be a clear and consistent strategy on how it’s going to be implemented and validated. It starts with you, and it has to apply at all times and to everyone. When you can do that it will help you create a culture of accountability where the organization will start to hold itself and others accountable which will have a massive impact on performance and results.

The Key to Success Empowerment leads to increased ownership and accountability, and increased accountability leads to a higher level of success. Empowerment Accountability Success

Cultivate a habit of excellence Let us all become more intentional about striving for excellence. Let us make it a habit, as Aristotle said. The same goes for the reverse: problems, failure, and other issues become habits, too. You'll develop a talent for the things you repeatedly practice. “Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~~Aristotle