Personal Accountability

People who practice personal accountability usually stand out in any organization. They display certain distinguishing characteristics that define how they relate to others in the organization around them. They define their relationship with the organization as a contribution toward the organization's goals. They acknowledge the impact that the quality of their work has on others. They answer for the success or failure of their own work.

Employees who practice personal accountability define their relationship with the rest of their organization in terms of a contribution toward the organization's goals. They display this characteristic in the way they describe the inputs to and the outputs from the work they perform. Input received from others is described as actions or needs that are part of a process. Input is not described as static documents or objects. The output from their own work is described as an input to the work of another member of the organization, or as a final product or service for a customer or client.

Another characteristic that distinguishes employees who practice personal accountability is their acknowledgment of the impact that the quality of their work has on others. They may describe how their work benefits someone else—a coworker or a customer—when the work is performed correctly. They may also describe how a coworker or customer is negatively affected when the work isn't done properly. Employees who practice personal accountability are willing to answer for their own successes or failures. They accept praise when they succeed and criticism when they fail. They don't try to shift blame for poor results or make excuses.

In the workplace, you may answer to feedback from supervisors, coworkers, subordinates, or customers. Personal accountability means being willing to answer responsibly to anyone who offers feedback on your work results. You need confidence and courage to answer for the success or failure of your own work. Many people are reluctant to seem boastful about their successes. They may be even more reluctant to shoulder the blame for a failure alone.

The characteristics of personal accountability are the behaviors that connect the members of an organization. Employees who care about and enjoy their jobs stand out from the rest. They exhibit the characteristics of personal accountability. Do you?