If you believe in Personal Accountability, Like/Follow QBQ! on Facebook here!
How do you know if Personal Accountability is a core value of your organization? How about the QBQ! methodology for practicing Personal Accountability—is it inculcated in your culture? Let’s find out!
3 criteria to determine if “QBQ! Inculcation” has happened!
1. You never forget who ACCOUNTABILITY is for.
On Twitter recently, a “motivational speaker/coach” tagged me and said, “Hey, @QBQGuy, accountability is everything, right? Check out my new podcast on it!”
So I jumped on her audio and listened—for about 2 minutes. Not to sound too haughty, but when I hear people say, “Now the first reason we need accountability in our businesses is so we can hold others accountable,” I know that accountability is not their, um, well—expertise.
Sure, managers set objectives with people and then coach them to reach those objectives. Sometimes managers even “demand” a level of performance. But none of that is what the QBQ! book and the message of Personal Accountability are about.
Remember, accountability is for … me. The organizations and people who have inculcated QBQ! keep that truth top of mind, always.
2. You can have fun with QBQ!
Recently, my QBQ, Inc. colleague of 10 years, Kristin, and I had an email exchange. There was confusion over whether a client had paid 50% or 100% of a speaking fee. Our accounting system showed they’d paid it all, but this salesperson-at-heart’s brain said otherwise. I was sure our customer had only paid half.
When I told Kristin that I disagreed with the numbers, she came back with, “You’re right. Weird. Not sure what happened.”
To which Dad—yes, Kristin is The QBQ! Daughter—responded with what the QBQ! book describes as an Incorrect Question (IQ) and, yes, in CAPS:
WHO MADE THE MISTAKE?
WHEN WILL WE GET BETTER SYSTEMS?
WHY CAN’T WE FIND GOOD PEOPLE?
Kristin, sharp as a tack, came right back with a bunch of lame excuses (what excuses aren’t lame?), also in CAPS:
WHEN WILL I GET BETTER TRAINING?
WHY WON’T MANAGEMENT EVER LISTEN?
WHO’S GOING TO HANDLE THIS PROBLEM?
We had a good laugh and went on to rectify the error. Having fun with QBQ! is a clear sign that it has become part of your organizational culture.
3. You can apply QBQ to any problem instantly.
How fast can you create a QBQ? (This tutorial page will help)
Over the years, David Levin (author of the terrific Raise Your Inner Game book), and I have worked together extensively. Many times, he has asserted, “John, nobody can come up with a QBQ versus IQ example faster than you!”
I accept the compliment. I mean, after all, I am The QBQ Guy.
But it’s not only the QBQ! author who can conjure up examples of accountable questions (QBQs) and their opposite, those blaming, whiny, victim-oriented, action-delaying IQs in his sleep. You can, too. It just takes commitment, study, repetition, persistence, practice—and did I mention … commitment?
A commitment, that is, to making personal accountability a core value within your organizational culture—and life. And, of course, helping you do all this is our mission at QBQ, Inc.
So, I will leave you with some questions:
Has “QBQ! Inculcation” occurred in your organization? If not, which of our 3 criteria must you address? How can we help you?
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Don’t miss this: Personal Accountability: 20 Questions To Determine If It’s Really a Core Value
If you believe in Personal Accountability, Like/Follow QBQ! on Facebook here!
2 Responses
So, this example of “accountability” is not work or organizationally related. Rather it was strictly personal:
A deer hit me this morning on my way to work. Yes, she hit my car, all along the side. I felt horrible and feared I’d find a dead, or worse yet, a wounded animal in the borrow ditch. Happily, when I walked back to check on it, the doe got up and wandered away under its own power. I would never make it as a hunter; I was more concerned about the animal and expected to be trying to find a DOW officer at 7: 00 in the morning.
My point is that many of us might just drive on without further thought of the animal. I like to think (is pride a problem here?) that I knew that someone else might have to deal with the mess I had been involved in and I knew clearly that was not correct. I was prepared to deal with the consequences and ever so glad that beyond a later call to DOW to make them aware of a potential injured animal, I was able to go on my way.
Not sure if this qualifies, but I like to think that out of a reflection of what is right in any instance we do not leave a job to others to sort out. Of course, DOW may have to find the injured animal, but at that point, it is their job and they have some accurate information to properly deal with it.
Just saying…
Tony, wow! Some story! Glad YOU are okay. Can be deadly. Thanks for being a deep thinker, because it’s good to ponder and think as you just did. Appreciate you sharing!