QBQ! QuickNote #1:
Take the QBQ! Challenge
by John G. Miller
Does my organization have an accountability problem?
The best way to answer this
outstanding question is to take
The QBQ! Challenge.
At my organization ...
When mistakes are made, do people ask, "Who dropped the ball?"
When change happens, do people ask, "Why do we have to go through all this
change?"
When others don't follow through, do people ask, "When will that department do
its job right?"
When there is much to do, do people ask, "Why don't others pull their own
weight?"
When the team is struggling, do managers ask, "Why aren't my people
motivated?"
When resources are tight, do people ask, "When will we get more tools?"
When the job is difficult, do people ask, "Who's going to train me?"
When competitors surpass us in technology, do people ask, "Why don't we have
better systems?"
When communication suffers, do people ask, "Why don't they communicate
better?"
When recruiting, do managers ask, "When are we going to find better people?"
Now, since this isn't a science, I would just say if you answered YES to even a few of
these questions, there is most likely a need for making personal accountability a core
value. But what does that mean?
People speak often about organizational "culture." A working definition of this well-worn
term might be:
Shared values and acceptable norms of behavior. It's the way we as
individuals
—collectively comprising the organization—think, feel, and act. Culture is
about how we treat each other, respond to each other, and support each other
—or
how we don't.
It's characterized by behaviors that are allowed and considered normal
and those that aren't.
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If we pass
The QBQ! Challenge above, then we've already made Personal
Accountability
(PA) a cultural core value. This means we've embraced PA as an idea
or principle to the extent that we utilize it to shape our behavior and thinking.
Organizations that pass
The QBQ! Challenge are outstanding because they're made
up of individuals who have decided to exhibit accountability in all they do. People
working together as teams, departments, branch offices, districts, and organizations
have consciously committed to the essential discipline of accountability. Said
differently, during those precious times they interact with colleagues, staff, and
superiors, as well as the paying customers
—we call them moments—they think and
act
accountably. When the ball is dropped, a peer commits an error, a random event
blocks a goal, miscommunication takes place, or change happens, accountable people
pause in the moment and ask
The Question Behind the Question (QBQ), "What can I
do to contribute?" and "How can
I make a difference?"
If your culture is like this, I say
outstanding! When we each choose to ask questions
like the two above
—over time—we create a culture where personal accountability is
valued, honored, and practiced.
That is when
personal accountability has become a core value.
However, organizations that fail
The QBQ! Challenge have a culture characterized by
Blame, Victim Thinking, Entitlement, Complaining, and Procrastination
—but probably
don't even know it. And that lack of awareness is a costly problem. But unawareness
can be penetrated simply by taking
The QBQ! Challenge.
So bring
The QBQ! Challenge to your team. Work through it and decide where your
organization stands. Don't worry if your organizational culture fails today. That's okay,
there's always tomorrow.
With the right
tools and training—and time—any organization can
make personal accountability a core value!
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QBQ! QuickNote™ PDF may be forwarded by email to others or printed in its entirety
for personal and group use. © QBQ, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved.
QBQ! QuickNote #2:
Be a Blame Buster!
by John G. Miller
I suppose we all have a phrase or two that we can't stand hearing. Here's one for me:
There's plenty of blame to go around!
Often spoken by someone in the media, it's a phrase that has become prevalent.
Possibly because
blame has become popular!
Parents blame the schools, churches and Hollywood for how their kids turn out.
Spouses blame each other (sometimes with their attorneys present).
Employers blame the employees.
Workers blame management.
Voters blame the politicians they elected.
Politicians blame ... their predecessors.
Coaches and players blame the officials.
Manufacturing blames R&D who blames HR who blames Marketing who blames
Sales who blames ...
the customer!
And everyone blames the economy. Why not, it's so easy!
In our DVD-based
QBQ! training program, I list some costs of blame in a work context.
Blame:
•
Indicts people
•
Destroys morale
•
Reduces creativity
•
Lowers productivity
•
Increases fear
•
Drives wedges between
colleagues
•
Breaks down teams
Blame also hurts us at home, not to mention in our communities, churches, and
schools. You see, at the very least, when pointing fingers, we're not using our time,
energy and creativity to solve a problem. And
all organizations have problems! And
since schools, families, nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses are all
"organizations," there are problems everywhere! Remember this:
Nothing gets fixed when we are fixated on who's at fault.
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The truth is,
outstanding organizations do not "seek culprits." When there is a Culture
of Culprit Catching
, we actually create more problems than existed in the first place. If
you don't believe me, see costs of blame listed above.
As we say in
QBQ!, leaders at all levels (that's you and me!) blame nobody—not even
themselves.
That last statement is not a way of escaping blame. Since everyone commits errors, it
simply means that if it's
me that committed one, I don't have to beat myself up over it.
The right questions to ask are, "What can I
learn from this experience?" and "How can
I now work to
solve the problem?" Of course, it might mean having to say the words
“I’m sorry!” to someone you know, too.
Blame-busting questions like these
—we call them QBQs—put me on the path of
personal accountability
and that path is always the place to walk. And no matter who
caused a problem, QBQs always bust the blame.
Our society may constantly send the message that "there's plenty of blame to go
around," but we can resist the temptation to do what's popular, trendy
—and incredibly
immature. Instead, each of us can rise above the urge to blame; each of us can be a
Blame Buster. And when that happens, our organizations can be
Outstanding!
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QBQ! QuickNote™ PDF may be forwarded by email to others or printed in its entirety
for personal and group use. © QBQ, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved.
QBQ! QuickNote #3:
I Am Not a Victim!
by John G. Miller
Kevin Brown, Director of Marketing for SERVPRO in Nashville, TN
—a QBQ! believer
and Miller friend
— makes me think when he says, “Life is fair … bad things happen to
all
of us.”
How often, though, do we think life is
not fair? Ever made statements like these?
The bank got us a "no interest" mortgage we now can't afford. It’s not fair.
My kids don’t ever listen to me. It’s not fair.
My retirement account is way down. It’s not fair.
I didn’t get the promotion/I lost my job/I was denied a raise. It’s not fair.
Others don't work as hard as I do. It's not fair.
My boss doesn’t communicate, coach, or seem to care. It’s not fair.
My employer cut our benefits. It’s not fair.
My staff doesn't seem to get what we're trying to do here. It's not fair.
I’m buried in high interest credit card debt. It’s not fair.
My home is worth less than I owe on it. It’s not fair.
The neighbors have a new boat/car/pool and we don’t. It’s not fair.
My co-workers are difficult to work with. It’s not fair.
Professional athletes make more than teachers. It’s not fair.
We’re going through a ton of change at work. It’s not fair!!!
My wife, Karen, has a favorite phrase. “It just is,” she’ll say. Meaning, sometimes stuff
just happens, circumstances just exist, and people simply act like people. The truth is
we were never promised “fairness.” Humans make hurtful comments, accidents occ
ur,
events take a turn we don’t expect, others are blessed with talents we lack, things
happen out of our control
—sometimes way out of our control.
Childhood friend, Philip Foltman, and I were both born May 28, 1958. I, though, am
three hours older and never let him forget it.
Growing up in Ithaca, N.Y., we graduated from Ithaca High in 1976, were pals during
our college years, and he served as my “best man” in 1980. And that he is: the best.
But in comparison to Phil,
I am a victim! I have “the right” to be angry, hurt, and bitter.
It’s not fair!
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How come? Because for over 35 years Philip has had something that I have not:
A mom.
In fact, he
still has his mom. I can barely remember mine.
I've not had a mother since Gerald Ford was President, the Bee Gees were hot, and
Star Wars was only in George Lucas’ imagination. It was May 20, 1975, while
attending a “ladies’ meeting,” Mary Miller, age 51, experienced a blinding headache,
slumped on a
friend’s sofa, and was rushed to the hospital. Two hours later she was
gone. A quiet but deadly killer had taken her. “Aneurysm” is a word I wished I’d never
learned, and certainly not at 16.
It wasn’t fair.
But Philip, my buddy, was there that tragic day in 1975. Within an hour he was at my
house and five days later he and
his mom—“Mrs. F”—came to my mom’s memorial
service.
Three and a half decades later, he still has his mom. Phil is a fortunate man.
But so am I, as I have many blessings ...
Karen is still my best friend, there are seven special people born between 1983 and
1998 who
call me “Dad,” beautiful grandchildren, and I love what I do.
And just as I certainly would
never hold it against Philip for still having his mom, I
shouldn’t hold it against anyone for having more of anything than I do. Envy doesn’t
wear well. Neither does the
It’s not fair! We're all victims! mentality that pervades our
society today.
Now here's what's not fair:
Begrudging people their achievements, success, possessions,
financial status, and good fortune.
When I hold it against others that they have more of
anything than I do, I have chosen
to be a victim
. And victim thinking, self-pity, and envy eat away at my soul, destroy my
ability to contribute, and make me a lesser person. Maybe even a small person.
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Bottom-line, when I play victim, I serve nobody
—not even myself. It's far better to flip
the switch
and completely eliminate victim thinking from my life.
Kevin Brown is right: Bad things happen to all of us. Sometimes those bad things are
tragedies beyond our control and sometimes they’re the result of our own mistakes.
Either way, the secret to life success is in how I respond, the choices I make, and how
I talk to myself.
And I
—like you—will engage in healthy, productive, and truth-based self-talk saying:
Success and happiness are based on choice not chance.
My decisions have directed me to my destination.
I am personally accountable for every choice I make.
I am not a victim!
Thoughts like these enable each of us to
be outstanding. It’s just as simple as that!
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QBQ! QuickNote™ PDF may be forwarded by email to others or printed in its entirety
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QBQ! QuickNote #4:
Ending the Blame Begins with ... Me!
by Kristin E. Lindeen
Have you ever made a mistake? Dropped the ball? Caused a problem? I have. And I
hate it when that happens.
Before joining QBQ, Inc., I served as a university academic advisor helping incoming
students choose their classes. Jessica, a co-worker, and I counseled one new student,
who was hesitant about attending college. She was a single mom with two little ones,
and she worked a full time job. The three of us worked closely to set a schedule that
worked for her. But on the first day of school, it turned out that she'd been put in the
wrong class
—wrong subject, wrong time, wrong location. This was bad news for an
incoming student, especially a busy mom.
Well, we all huddled and after some creative scheduling, the problem was solved. The
student
—our customer, my customer—was happy.
So, feeling
personally accountable, I spent some time thinking back over the
circumstances to see if I could figure out where the mistake occurred. I tried to ask all
the right questions of myself
—I mean, after all, I was raised on QBQ!
“What could I have done to clarify?”
“How could I have follow
ed up more effectively?”
“What can I do to be more careful in the future?”
Later, I wandered into Jessica's office and started talking about the whole mess. But
while I talked, Jessica was only ... nodding! My frustration began to build. You see, to
be truthful, I was accepting
my responsibility for the problem, and rightly so. Yet, what I
really,
really wanted my co-worker to say was, “Well, Kristin, I could have done more,
too.” When it got right down to it, I would've happily agreed to take, say, 70% of the
blame, and then
she could’ve taken 30%. In fact, I would've negotiated to 80/20 if she'd
wanted to. I just needed her to say,
I am accountable, too!
Has this ever happened to you? You’re asking the right questions, admitting to your
involvement in a problem, practicing personal accountability, but
no one else is
owning up to their part?!
It’s not an easy position to be in.
Honestly, as I was telling her, “I could have done this or that differently…” I wanted to
scream out,
“And you, Jessica, could have done something differently and it’d be really
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super for you to admit it!!”
What’s ironic, is this coworker even had the QBQ! book
sitting on her desk.
That was the day I realized that practicing personal accountability by using
The
Question Behind the Question
is a choice—my choice—and not one that I can force
others to make.
Personal accountability is just that
—personal.
I can't make someone else be accountable. In her office, I suppose I could've asked
Jessica to read the
QBQ! book again, but that probably would not have enhanced our
working relationship. Personal accountability is just that:
personal. My job is to
eliminate blame from
my life.
Since I became a QBQ, Inc. team member and began
speaking and conducting
workshops on my dad's (John Miller) material, I have learned that organizations
struggle mightily with this blame thing
—what it looks like, why it happens, what its
costs are, and how to stop it. There's even a bit of confusion about blame. Some
recent client statements:
Our executives actually like to ask "Who dropped the ball?" because they feel it
keeps individuals from hiding behind systems and processes.
So what if blame creates fear? What's wrong with that; isn't fear a motivator?
As a manager, why shouldn't I blame my staff? They're the ones not reaching
their goals!
OK, I know I shouldn't blame others, but does that mean I should take all the
blame
all the time?
I believe in simple, so let me simply quote the
QBQ! book:
Accountable people don't blame anyone. Not even themselves.
It's true, solving problems, excelling in our work, building relationships, and reaching
goals are all driven by introspection, humility, continuous learning, passion,
accountability, and hard work. Never finger-pointing, accusing, recriminating, and
blaming. Let's call it quits on The Blame Game today. We can do better. Are you with
me 100%?
If not, that's okay
—it begins with me.
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QBQ! QuickNote™ PDF may be forwarded by email to others or printed in its entirety
for personal and group use. © QBQ, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved.
QBQ! QuickNote #5:
Six Truths of Accountability
by John G. Miller
I've been speaking on or writing about personal accountability since 1995
—and I've
come to believe there are six truths that are self-evident:
1. Everybody wants
everybody else to practice personal accountability. Enough
said.
2. Individuals make
exceptions for themselves when it comes to
accountability/responsibility/
ownership:
Example: If I earned an annual income of, say, $65,000 back
when the real estate market was peaking, but bought a half
million dollar home
—and then lost that home—it was due to
"predatory lending." But if a neighbor flies to Vegas, gambles
away his entire net worth and comes back broke, we think, "Wow.
That was really stupid. What a foolish thing for him to do!"
Sometimes, we need to say that to ourselves, and then ask
The
Question Behind the Question
(QBQ), "What can I learn from this
experience?"
3. I am
more effective in all roles—father, mother, professional, spouse, friend,
volunteer
—when I practice personal accountability.
4. Personal accountability begins at home with
effective parenting.
5. Life is more
enjoyable—downright more fun!—when I walk on the High Road
of Personal Accountability.
6. It's simply the "right thing to do." The wrong things to do are blame, whine,
point fingers, play victim, become entitled
—and expect others to bail me out
of my bad choices.
Now, if you don't agree with these six ideas
—that's just fine. But that's the way I see it.
QBQ, Inc.
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