Accountability Equals "Engagement"
by John G. Miller

I've been in the training industry since 1986 and have heard a ton of "buzz" words. To me, a buzz word is a word (or phrase) that borders on fancy, is definitely trendy, and people use it as a shortcut to describe an idea that could be described more effectively using regular words.
The reason I mention this is one of the newer buzz phrases is "employee engagement."

A quick aside: While preparing this QuickNote, my QBQ, Inc. colleague, Kristin, and I were talking about this "engagement" thing in my home office when 21-year-old daughter, Molly, walked in. After listening for all of three seconds, she energetically asked, "Who's getting married?!?"

Seriously, though, do we really need to give the idea of having employees who love their work a new name? As we say in Chapter 11 of Outstanding!, exceptional organizations and people do not speak in code! I know execs everywhere think it's their job to stand up at meetings and report the most recent "employee engagement" survey results, but couldn't we spend less time surveying and more time doing what gets us there? You know, things like ...

• Hiring people with work ethic and character who possess the personal pride required to do outstanding work.

• Training managers to drive authority, ownership, and passion into the team.

• Clarifying organizational purpose while helping individuals connect their personal mission (purpose) to the greater cause.

• Strengthening the culture by making personal accountability a core value, thereby eliminating blame, procrastination, and complaining!

Yes, that's what outstanding organizations do each day to get—and keep—people "engaged."

But, if the organizational world insists on using shortcut buzz phrases like "employee engagement," let's be clear about what it looks like. Here's a story from Thom of Purdue Pharma. Both Thom and Purdue are longtime believers in and users of QBQ! and its life-changing message of personal accountability. Enjoy!

It was 10pm in Albuquerque, and my flight home to Tucson through Phoenix had been delayed due to bad weather. My new estimated time of arrival was 2am. But things quickly improved thanks to a TSA employee named Larry. He will forever raise the bar for security officers at airports everywhere!

Larry was directing passengers to several lines for baggage x-ray and security checks. What was totally surprising, however, was his enthusiastic approach to the job. Instead of mechanically pointing travelers to line number one or two, Larry proudly introduced himself to thirty or so exhausted passengers by shouting, "Good evening everyone, my name is Larry. I'll be helping you through security tonight. And just so you all know, it's my birthday!"

Well, I couldn't contain myself after seeing and feeling his enthusiasm, so I shouted back, "Happy birthday, Larry!" He laughed and said, "It's not really my birthday, I just love the attention!" Then like a maitre d' in a fine restaurant he asked the folks next in line, "How many in your party?"
They replied, "Three." He responded, "Smoking or non?"

Meanwhile, a new line had been opened. As he waved several people into it, he quoted the movie Finding Nemo by chanting, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!" Everyone cracked up! By now, I couldn't help but be amazed at how Larry's attitude buoyed so many weary travelers. Then to the group behind me he declared, "Hi, everyone! I'm Larry!" And like a group attending a self-help seminar, the crowd enthusiastically replied in unison, "Hi, Larry!" As they moved toward the scanners, he joyfully delivered their instructions. I trudged on to my gate as Larry's cheerful voice faded into the background.

Thom’s story is a terrific picture of "employee engagement" and personal accountability which, of course, cannot be separated. Instead of asking whiny, blaming questions like, "When will travelers learn the rules?" "Why don't I get paid more?" and “Who stuck me on this crummy shift?” Larry embodied personal accountability by asking The Question Behind the Question. QBQs such as, "What can I do right now to serve my customers?" and "How can I exhibit passion for my job?" actually cause people to be "engaged."

Loving our work like Larry loves his work is a worthy goal for each of us. Here are two more accountable questions (QBQs) that move us in the right direction:
"What can I do today to demonstrate enthusiasm on the job?" and "How can I contribute right now?"

Clearly, PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY is worth engaging in!