Paigan, Aleona Alexandra V.

12-Humility
Work Immersion
ACCOUNTABILITY
Being accountable for things that have gone the other way around as to what it was
originally planned or expected, simply begins with “ownership of one’s job”. It is a mindset
where we make one self believe that “I am responsible for my actions.” John Miller, a personal
accountability consultant, defines some very unique attributes of people who practices
accountability. These are the ff:
 A person eliminate blaming others for things that happen.
 A person as well eliminate being a victim in a situation, instead they act with responsibility.
 Lastly, they eliminate procrastination in carrying out responsibility.
An accountable person understands that mistakes do happen and they must own up to
it when they do happen. This kind of person does not have to be chased down and confronted
about it. It is unnecessary for this kind of people as well to cover up or ignore a situation and
hopes nobody discover/know about it. If ever faced with faulty and difficult situations these
people prefer to report it over to their heads directly and explain truthfully what happened.
Accountable people offer no transparent excuses, no blame-shifting and no relocating of guilt.
An accountable employee differs from any regular employee in such a way that they
quickly acknowledge their mistakes and failures and learn from the experience. In addition,
accountable employees don’t just pass the blame to other co-employee. They keep their word
and honor their commitments even when they would prefer not to. Finally, accountable
employees push through and find a way to get the job done despite the various obstacles and
setbacks. The character trait of being accountable could really be of great help in improving the
culture of business.
To create accountability at your own company, make sure you have solid, consistent
leadership that demonstrates and rewards accountable behaviors. Here as presented by Mr.
Doug White of Forbes Magazine are the 5 steps in building a culture of accountability in the
business:
1. Hire people who will take responsibility. You need great material from which to build your
organization. Therefore, hiring the right people is important. We suggest looking for people
with a history of accountability. What types of roles have they held in the past? Did they seek
out leadership positions in school, in personal pursuits or in previous jobs?
2. Set clear and measurable goals/expectations.If you are going to hold employees
accountable for delivering results, be explicit about exactly what results you expect. It can be
helpful to involve the employee in the process.
3. Delegate authority. You should delegate to specific accountable employees those key
decisions that will affect results. If you are going to effectively hold people accountable for
results, empower them to make the decisions that impact the results.
4. Address deficiencies. Remember, as the manager, you are accountable for ensuring that
your employees succeed. At the end of the day, if your employees fail to achieve their goals,
you have failed as well.
The message is to create a culture of accountability, where employees are to seek
ownership, one should start by practicing what he preaches. Once you are leading the way,
every thing else will follow.