Doing my job: more on accountability

AccountabilityLeadershipManagementServiceParenting

Personal Accountability: Doing My Job

Posted by John G. Miller

Enter the give-away below to be eligible to win an audio CD of the book …

Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional

I asked Molly, our twentysomething daughter, who has served as captain of soccer and basketball teams, “Molly, in your opinion, what makes an effective team?” I was honestly just curious what she’d say; it wasn’t like I was doing book research! But I loved her answer: “Everyone taking care of their own stuff, Dad. Everybody working hard at doing their job.” I appreciated her thought so much, it went into Outstanding! under the chapter titled, “Work!”
Can you imagine responding to Incorrect Questions (“IQ” vs. “QBQ” tutorial) with Molly’s simple message? A message that is succinctly stated in the photo above, taken by her thirtysomething sister, Kristin, when in New Orleans to speak.
These three words may not seem very “politically correct” to you; maybe they even seem harsh, cold, and callous. But let me paint a picture that might help:
While watching TV, have you ever seen a character—calm, cool, and collected—slap a hysterical character who then responded, “Thanks, I needed that!”
I don’t know about you, but I could benefit from being metaphorically slapped on some days. Here’s how it might go:
“When is someone going to give us the vision?”
DO YOUR JOB.
“Who made that decision?”
DO YOUR JOB.
“Why aren’t my people motivated?”
DO YOUR JOB.
“When will others work as hard as I do?”
DO YOUR JOB.
“Why don’t they communicate better?”
DO YOUR JOB.
“Who dropped the ball?”
DO YOUR JOB.
“When are they going to tell us what’s going on?”
DO YOUR JOB.
“Why don’t I get a raise, promotion, and more benefits???”
DO YOUR JOB.
A couple years ago, my wife, Karen, gave me a t-shirt that reads, “It’s All About Me.” Um, it wasn’t a positive marital statement that day.
But it made my think about what we teach here at QBQ, Inc.
You see, I first created “The Question Behind the Question” in 1994 and taught it in its original and very rough form at St. Jude Medical in Minnesota. It was quickly shortened to “QBQ.” When I returned to St. Jude a month later, they were using it. Meaning, they were talking the language and applying the concept to solve problems.
I remember thinking, Wow, I’ve really got something here.
Bluntly, most of what the training industry sells is ineffective—motivational fluff and theoretical stuff—that sounds good in the ballroom or classroom but can’t be implemented when people return to work.
So, in 1994, it seemed that I had hold of a piece of content, in the form of this “QBQ” idea that people were wanting and able to use. I mention that for this reason:
Over the years—in my opinion—the QBQ! message of PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY had clearly gotten deeper, richer, and more meaningful!
But then Karen gave me that t-shirt and I thought …
Huh, that’s QBQ! in a nutshell. No whining, complaining, blaming, procrastinating, or excuse-making. No feeling entitled or deserving. No worrying about what others do or don’t do. Just …
DO YOUR JOB!
And the best way for me to do my job?
Asking QBQs such as these:
“How can I excel in my work today?” and “What can I do to be my very best?”
Yep, that t-shirt is right—personal accountability … is all about me.
For Comment:
Are there any “IQs” you ask that keep you from doing your job? What’s your take-away from this message and how will you apply it? Please share below!
In this week’s give-away, three winners* (selected randomly by RaffleCopter) will win Outstanding! on audio CD (shown below).

*Must live in the United States or Canada.

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