Utilizing Accountability for Intentional Growth and Change

Accountability is one of the most powerful motivators, but typically we think of accountability as someone else holding us accountable.

Even more powerful is when we choose to be accountable to ourselves.

So let’s discuss just how powerful accountability can be, and ways you can utilize it!

Make an Appointment

A study by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD; www.td.org) found that certain actions are more likely to lead to a person completing a goal.

• Just having the goal: likelihood of completing the goal is about 10%
• Consciously deciding you will accomplish your goal: 25%
• Setting a timeline for completing your goal: 40%
• Planning how you will do it: 50%
• Committing to another person that you will do it: 65%
• Setting up a meeting to discuss your progress with someone you’ve committed to: 95% likely to complete the goal!

That's astounding! Don't keep your goals and ideas to yourself. Share your goals with others, enlist an accountability partner, and then commit to them and follow up with them!

Create An Accountability Contract

I have a sweet tooth, and I'm sometimes too lazy to exercise. That combination doesn't always bode well for my health goals.

One of the strategies that most helps me to stay motivated when I'm struggling is creating an accountability contract. Basically I create a list of things I will commit to. If I follow through, there will be some sort of reward. If I don't accomplish the objective, then there is a consequence.?

I have a friend who has transformed his own health who has become my accountability partner. I'll commit to myself and my accountability partner about health actions I will take for a week, and if I don't keep them, then I owe him $10. That's not a lot of money, but I hate giving money to other people for stupid things, so it's rare that I don't follow through! (For me at this point in my life, avoiding a consequence is a stronger motivator than receiving a reward.) Sometimes this means I find myself doing a set of pushups late at night or skipping out on a dessert at an event, but I'm able to find that push because I'm accountable to someone else.

What kind of accountability contract can you create? Who can you set it up with?

Create a Culture of Accountability

If you work with a team at your job or in any other area of your life (think sports, community or faith groups, or even your family), you can create a culture that helps everyone be accountable.?

In a successful team that has high levels of accountability, you will notice a few key elements:

• Everyone seeks to understand the goals of others. Of course this is true! How can you really know how best to help others if you don’t know what their goals are? Taking responsibility to understand this is a critical step to being personally accountable.?
• The actions individuals take consider others’ needs so that they can gain greater collective success rather than focusing solely on their own accomplishments.
• There is a positive pressure from the team that drives accomplishment because they expect great things from each other.?
• Team members frequently check in with each other to assess how their own actions are impacting the others.

Does your team incorporate these elements? If not, invite your team members to discuss how your team can incorporate accountability to be more successful.?

Take Intentional Action

In addition to taking actions I’ve already discussed in this newsletter, including enlisting an accountability partner, creating an accountability contract, and making an appointment with your accountability partner, here’s an activity for you to do to help improve accountability in a team setting.

Have you ever, at the end of a meeting, said to yourself, "Okay, we talked about things, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now…."

If you answered yes, that's likely because there weren't clear decisions or assignments made, which leads to minimal follow-through and consideration afterwards. Here's how you can fix that for your next meeting, assuming you are in a position of leadership or at least can suggest this change in an appropriate way.

• At the end of the meeting, review key decisions and what needs to be communicated outside of the meeting. Make assignments for each action item!
• If a decision cannot be made immediately (due to a lack of information, insufficient time in the meeting to come to a decision, etc.), set a clear deadline for when a decision will be made by.
• Publicize the team's goals, who is responsible for deliverables, and what the expectations for each team member are.?
• Individually, identify key people who are dependent on your work. Regularly check in with them on how well you are doing in helping them.
• Shift reward structures and incentives away from individual performance and toward team achievement.?

If you are not in a position of leadership, consider having a private conversation with the person who leads your meetings about how you can help make your organization more successful by incorporating these ideas into meetings.

Accelerate Your Progress

This newsletter is an adapted excerpt from my new book, The Intentional Engineer. It was written just for intentional engineers like you. Go grab your own copy today at: https://amzn.to/3u6bJF2.?

The Audiobook is also available, so go grab your copy on Audible or Apple Books!

And if you want personalized coaching or training for you or your team/organization, just DM me or email me at [email protected]. I’d love to help!

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