8 Truths of Accountability
Posted by John G. Miller on April 21, 2013
I’ve been speaking on or writing about personal accountability since
1995—and I’ve come to believe there are eight truths that do exist, but are
often rejected:
1.
Everybody wants everybody else to practice personal accountability. Enough
said.
2. Individuals make exceptions for themselves
when it comes to the principles of accountability and responsibility:Example: If I earned an annual income of, say, $65,000 back when the real estate market was peaking and I bought a half million dollar home—then lost that home to the bank—my claim would be it was due to “predatory lending.” But if my neighbor flew to Vegas, gambled away his entire net worth and came back broke, he’d be judged with, “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—spouse,
father, mother, professional, friend, volunteer—when I practice personal
accountability.
4. Personal
accountability is a “me” thing, not a team thing. But when I practice
it, the team can do great things.
5.
Personal accountability begins at home with excellent parenting. Not with the schools, the
church, or the government. At home.
6.
Life is more enjoyable—downright more fun—and I can be so much more
when I walk the High Road of Personal Accountability.
7. It’s simply the “right thing to do.” The
wrong things to do are blame, whine, point fingers, play victim, be entitled—and
expect others to bail me out of my bad choices.
8. Personal
accountability is absolutely trainable. That is, it can be
learned.
If you
don’t agree with these eight thoughts, that’s just fine—but this is how we at
QBQ, Inc. see it.
For comment below:
Which one of the “Eight Truths” challenge you the most? What other truths of accountability are there?
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