Accountability is tied to success. When you are accountable, you are incredible. Here are some tools that can help you to be accountable and how you can hold others accountable, too.
1. Get an accountability partner.
Exercise is easier to act on when you have a workout partner or hire a personal fitness trainer. Who can you team up with to hold you to a higher standard? Any goal can be less challenging with an accountability buddy. The right partner creates a reciprocal relationship in which each person is inspired by the other to achieve more.
2. Use verbal confirmations.
Say it! Let it be known that you made a verbal commitment to accomplish what you set forth. If you want someone to fulfill an expectation, let the person acknowledge acceptance of the task or project.
3. Remind yourself why it is important.
What is the significance of your resolution? Why do you want what you want? Why is it important to you! Do you want to experience greater financial freedom? How about better health? Do you want a better connection in your relationships? Know, understand, and define why what you want is important to you. Write it down. Refer to it often, especially when you are feeling unmotivated.
4. Leverage the importance of full participation.
Share the importance of everyone being fully involved to create team and individual success. Let people know that their commitment and participation is vital. In football or any other sport each role plays a position that contributes to overall success. Encourage the relevance of individual dedication.
5. Give positive acknowledgement.
Every day you have the opportunity to tell someone they did a great job. It only takes a few seconds to recognize the efforts of others. Who helped you? Who stepped up to contribute value? Personally and publicly, give credit to those that earned it! Follow the advice of Sam Walton who said, “Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel.”
6.Use environmental anchors.
Place items in your environment that evoke action. Display your goals and objectives. Major corporations have signage announcing their mission and core values as a reminder to employees and customers of what they stand for. Post individual and team goals where they can be reviewed often.
7. Focus on personal accountability.
If you want other team members to be accountable for their actions, then you must first demonstrate your personal accountability. The manager or supervisor that preaches the importance of being punctual, but is always tardy loses credibility. If you want to be seen as a leader, and to lead others, you must let your behavior do the talking.
8. Provide appropriate training.
Holding someone accountable that has not been properly trained is insanity. Does the person know what is expected of them? Do they have the skill set to perform what is expected? Ongoing training is one of the best ways to ensure accountability because it removes the excuse of, “I didn’t know” or “I don’t know how.”
Everyone needs a coach at one time or another. You might be called upon to fill the role of a coach within the next hour, day, week or month. You can easily improve your odds of being a successful coach if you follow a few basic, yet powerful, coaching tools.
Best of success to you!
