Two Truths About Accountability

“I hear you like an angel on my shoulder”

Those words are the best compliment from a client. She hears my voice in her head when she wants to power through another day without taking time for herself.

I’m no angel but I do want to get inside your head to talk about accountability.

There’s that word...ACCOUNTABILITY. It’s thrown around a lot in the realms of personal productivity.  

In my opinion, it’s earned its place.  Here’s why:

It works!

Studies have shown if you publicly state a goal, you have a 65% chance of achievement. If you have someone holding you accountable to that goal, your odds increase to 95%.

Those are some good odds.

Despite the good bet, many people still don’t do it.  The reasons include

• It’s time-consuming
• There are no good accountability buddies
• The idea that you “have” to do something

The list can go on and on but let me introduce to you my next point.

Personal vs External Accountability

Where does your mind go when you think about accountability?

The study data above refers to external accountability.  This is when you hire a coach, find an accountability buddy or maybe even have your hubby hold you accountable to your goal.

There’s also personal accountability.  The act of being true to your actions and words.

It’s also the act of not looking for blame or making excuses when something happens.  Say you missed a deadline.  Instead of blaming the client who didn’t get you those final details you needed to finish on time, you think what can I do to change the situation?

Wouldn’t you rather work with someone who admits when something goes wrong and tries to solve the problem?  I know my favorite kid is the one who cleans up the spill, not the one who points fingers at why the cup toppled in the first place.

One word of caution...the line between personal accountability and shaming can get fuzzy.  I wrote more about that concept here.

How is accountability showing up in your life?