Lastly, I blame myself.
Much easier to find fault with others, those who accept personal accountability in business and in their personal lives will find that going against the conventional and corporate climate will reap grand benefits. If one can recognize barriers to success, take accountability, define and act on solutions they will be truly successful in life and in business.
Having recently read The Oz Principle by Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman I thought I would share some of my favorite highlights from the book and how you can get results through accountability.
“Pop psychology, whether intentional or not, has often encouraged people in our society to blame all their woes and problems on a single or few experiences in their lives, thus promoting a lack of accountability for current and future behaviors, attitudes, and feelings. It is not unusual for people to explain their nightmares, eating disorders, compulsive cleanliness, anxieties, drive for self-improvement, physical ailments, financial problems, and impatience on some singular and pivotal problem or experience that occurred earlier in their lives. Blaming everything on their past wounds, the explain their vulnerability to fad diets, their awkwardness in relating to their children, or their feelings of alienation and loneliness, as if no other modern adult suffers these problems. The fact is, whether you are a true victim or a pseudo victim, you will never overcome a hurtful past until you develop a present- and future-oriented view of your own accountability for getting more out of life. To achieve such a shift in how you view things, we suggest that you start with our more powerful, more proactive definition of accountability.” – The Oz Principle
No one said it was easy. “Doing something differently about your situation often requires doing things you dislike doing, such as taking a risk you’ve been avoiding.” – The Oz Principle
“Victims never accomplish anything unless they start taking control over their own futures.” – The Oz Principle. When you stop playing the victim card it is easier to see the way to a solution. To rise above your circumstances and get the results you want, you cannot be content to blame outside forces for your failures. (And you have to admit they are your failures). People at every level of an organization need to ask, “What else can I do?”
“’Just tell me exactly what you want me to do, and I’ll do it.’ Unfortunately, such a plea, while seeming to indicate a willingness to change behavior, simply transfers accountability to a superior or someone else. Too many bosses perpetuate such an attitude by telling their people exactly what to do in difficult situations. Asking someone else to tell you exactly what to do represents nothing more than an advanced from of excuse making because it stems from the victim’s desire to prepare his or her excuse before ever taking action.” – The Oz Principle
The Oz Principle outlines four steps. See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It. to take the journey personally, you can find The Oz Principle on Amazon. A couple of warnings: Don’t expect the same level of accountability from others; they may not be where you are in the journey. Don’t suppress your feelings. Recognize them and let them move you. Don’t run from problems. “Unfortunately, she allowed herself to remain as confused as ever, hoping somehow that a change of scenery would clarify things. It didn’t. It seldom does.” – The Oz Principle