Eliminating EXCUSES: Being Accountable for Your Own Success A Requirement for Life and Business Advancement Natalie B. Bryant, M.A. – SOM Director of Practice Development

New Year’s RESOLUTIONS

Accountability O To give an accounting of – To answer for  Your choices  Your actions  Your outcomes

The Price Paid for a Lack of Accountability O Wasted time covering your tail O Pointed fingers and blamed others O Felt powerless and out of control O Didn’t know what to do O Wasn’t personally vested O Ignored problems O Waited too late to act

What percentage of YOUR SUCCESS is up to YOU vs Outside Conditions? O Choices O Actions/Behaviors O Outcomes

85%

Good News….. O Not just a Mind Set O Skill Set that can be LEARNED!

Three Step Process O Clarifying Responsibilities O Taking the Initiative O Owning the Outcome

Clarifying Responsibility O Role O Processes O Check List O WHO does WHAT? O Overlap? O Gaps?

Clarifying Responsibility O Manage Expectations  Ask questions  Make agreements  Clarify everything  What's expected of everyone including YOU!

Clarifying Responsibility O Recognize YOUR AUTHORITY  Know your power  If you don’t take care of YOUR responsibilities, someone else will.  Result – YOU are no longer needed.  Giving that power away only happens with your permission!

Taking the Initiative O Self Empowerment  Take Actions/Risks for desired outcome  Seek out available resources  Step outside your comfort zone  Find the motivation

Taking the Initiative O Responsibilities O Actions and Choices O Goals and Outcomes

Set SMART Goals O Specific O Measurable O Achievable O Relevant O Time - Bound

Taking the Initiative O Control YOUR time  Set Goals – Make a plan  Track projects and deadlines  Resist over-scheduling  Estimate realistic time commitments  “NO” is an empowering word

Owning the Outcome O Police Yourself  Hold yourself accountable  Don’t depend on others to do it  Don’t blame others or make excuses  Choose accountability, even if not caught by others!

Owning the Outcome O Tell the Truth  Everyone messes up  To lie/cover up – makes it worse  Honesty builds respect and trust

Owning the Outcome O When trouble arises, look at YOURSELF first.  What is the problem?  What are YOU doing/not doing that contributed to problem?  How can YOU solve the problem?

Learn from the Outcome O Be Accountable for results!  How will YOU handle failures  Analyze the outcome  Roses  Blossoms  Thorns

Do you have the COURAGE to examine YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY? O Quantify your perceptions O Quantify anonymously your superiors, colleagues, and subordinates perceptions O How do they compare?

Questionnaire Comparison

Benefits of Being Accountable O O O O O O O O O O O O

Three Step Process O Clarifying Responsibilities O Taking the Initiative O Owning the Outcome

Be SMART! O Make the commitment O Never require anyone else to hold YOU accountable O Take control of YOUR job and YOUR life!

New Year’s RESOLUTIONS

EXCUSES

Choose to be ACCOUNTABLE!

Bibliography & Suggested Reading O Barron, G & Crenshaw, J., Leadership Without Excuses: How to Create Accountability and High-Performance; McGraw Hill Publisher, 2012 O Connors, R., Hickman, C., Smith, Thomas & Tom, The OZ Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability; Prentice Hall Press, October O Galindo, Linda. The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success – No Nonsense, No Excuses; Jossey Bass Publications, October O Samuel, Mark. Making Yourself Indispensable: The Power of Personal Accountability ; Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated, April 2012