The Art of Self Development Programme - Design Your Life:3.3.16

Nuggets of Self Development Book - By Barbara Lawrence

Oscar Wilde once said: "The aim of life is self-development". This basically means we cannot and should not stop improving ourselves, because development brings about improvement. Nuggets of Self Development demonstrates how you can do this daily through basic and simple action ideas that can help you make better choices in different areas of your life. Nuggets of Self Development will show you how to: 

• Personally Accountable
• Cope with Change
• Choose the right attitude
• Self motivate
• Learn how to network today

These and more are nuggets that ought to be taken one at a time since the book calls for some simple bite-size steps.

Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and AuthorHouse.

The Art of Self Development Programme - 3.3.16

The Path to Personal Accountability 1

What  do  you  normally  do  when something  goes  wrong?  Do  you point fingers,   make   excuses   or   take responsibility? Would you rather ask questions, play victim or blame someone else? Do you say things like: “I didn’t have enough time.” “That’s not my job.” “I didn’t know”. These are very common responses within a group setting: from the floor shop to Management; ministries to government; Business leaders to Regulators;  husband to wife - all pointing fingers at each other and themselves.

These statements have one thing in common: focus on others and deflection from us. It reminds me of an advice given years ago by a senior colleague as I joined a multinational. He (they were mostly male in those days) said: “Never let the ball drop in your court; if it lands, pass it back quickly”. This was buck-passing at its best and I am sure a lot of us are guilty.

The reasons for this attitude are numerous: fear of reprisals, ignorance and a prevalent blame culture in the workplace and society today. Its effect can have an enormous impact on any institution.

Blame is to “find fault with” and generally, it shames others because you are searching for something wrong with them. Little wonder then that people tend to deflect any blame from themselves? Unfortunately, blame creates a vicious cycle because there is fear wherever it exists, which in turn leads to cover-ups. This will definitely affect the flow of information and create a wrong knowledge of the current reality. When this happens, the ability to solve problems effectively is hindered.

For instance, your direct report has created a six feet hole but tells you it’s two because he is afraid the truth might affect his bonus. So you dump enough cement mixture for the

supposedly two feet hole. The result? More errors as you are short and the blame cycle starts all over again! Blame only provides early artificial solutions to complex issues and does not bring about improvement, learning or accountability.

A lack of personal accountability is another reason for blame. This has not been helped by the context of accountability in the workplace, which is usually perceived as a form of punishment, reprimand or blame. Unfortunately, employees who are frustrated or afraid of losing control often validate this. All the same, accountability is one of the main roots of personal empowerment and the centre of learning and improvement – in order words, self-development.

Accountability as we know it, is a reflection on one’s level of integrity, and leads to trust when  the situation involves other people. It results in actions that support one’s words. It could also be defined as how an individual created, promoted or allowed a situation (positive or negative) to occur or their reaction to the situation. It is a two relationship and results oriented. It requires reporting, comes with consequences and improves performance. Its foundation is Personal Accountability.

My favourite definition of Personal Accountability however, is the “willingness to claim 100% ownership for the results produced as a consequence of your involvement, both individually and collectively, with others in your workplace” (William A. Guillory, CEO Innovations International Inc). It is an accountability relationship with oneself and an internal responsibility to be accountable. It involves looking to oneself for personal results and a willingness to explain your actions.

This means you have to challenge yourself to improve the way you carry out your responsibilities. You have to look within for answers instead of pointing fingers and placing blame on others. You do not mirror others around you but set the example by focusing on the face you see in the mirror i.e. yours. The late Michael Jackson got it so right in his hit tune – Man in the Mirror:

“I'm starting with the man in the mirror; I'm asking him to change his ways; And no message could have been any Clearer; If you wanna make the world a better place; Take a look at yourself and then make a change” Michael Jackson: Man in the Mirror