Accountability - the state of being answerable to someone for something within one's power, control, or management
Whether leading a merger integration team, managing a strategic partnership, or raising spirited teenagers.......we all are interdependent on accountabilities (ours to others and those upon which we are dependent).
This morning, I want to talk about personal accountability.....those promises we make to ourselves that serve as the fuel for our dreams, passions, and desires. Making commitments to ourselves is healthy, productive, and forward thinking. In coaching, we work with clients to bring these commitments to light, to honor them, and to build strategies for bringing them to fruition.
As our lives become more complex, commitments to SELF can often become the ones that end up moving to the bottom slot on the priority list. After all, there's only so much energy and resources at our disposal. AND, we can easily justify prioritizing 'others' over 'self' with any number of cultural standards on the honorability of serving others (being 'self'-less).
Since personal accountability is often private, it's pretty easy to dismiss it since no one else knows - and, therefore, there's no fallout. (or, so we rationalize...)
This is where good coaches come in to play - we don't let our clients dismiss commitments to self without some level of accountability, awareness, and evaluation of the broader consequences.
The best motivational advice I got when training for my first marathon was this:
TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW OF YOUR INTENTIONS.
And like magic, you've expanded your sphere of accountability exponentially.
I'm going to give it a try today, and hope that you might consider doing something similar with one of the personal commitments you've made that is in jeopardy of being kicked down the accountability ladder:
On November 13, 2010 (my 50th birthday) I made a commitment to myself to run 100 kilometers in the coming year for charities. I created a checklist, taped it to my bathroom wall...and have marked off each race I've run, the number of kilometers, and the amount of money raised for the charity.
My dilemma:
I'm 7 months into the year and have completed only 38 kilometers out of my 100 kilometer goal.
I've lost steam.....can't seem to reinvigorate the energy around the commitment and , last evening, came close to taking the checklist down from my wall. I'm stuck!
So, I'm going to up the accountability stakes: For the next 5 months, I'll close the Second Cup Newsletters with a discrete fraction that will give you an indication of my progress. This will be a subtle, but undeniable, acknowledgement of my accountability.
Hope to see you on the trails.......38/100.
Mike Malinchok, CPC
President
S2K Consulting, LLC
www.s2kperformancecoaching.com
ph: 215-504-7091
