Where Are You on the Accountability Spectrum?

Take a moment and honestly ask yourself whether or not you feel like you forced to blame others so that you won’t be blamed for mistakes that occur at work?

It is easy to fall into the trap where you spend a lot of time and energy deflecting blame rather than addressing it head on.  It is especially difficult to take credit for errors when you have a boss who always needs to figure out who is at fault, but by owning up to your mistakes you are in a position to learn from them and to take establish corrective actions to enhance your future performance. 

 A critical component of your professional growth is learning how to manage mistakes effectively, to your advantage and to the advantage of others.

Review the following Accountability Spectrum and determine your current level of accountability.

 

Level One:  Playing the blame game?   If your mistakes, missed deadlines, inferior quality of work is usually due to your lack of assistance, funds, resources, tools, support, time…..you are playing the blame game.

Level Two:  Realizing that change is needed, identifying the issue, but expecting someone else to come to the rescue.

Level Three:  Acknowledging mistakes and failures, confronting them directly and hoping that your willingness to own up to your faults is enough.

Level Four:  Identifying and taking responsibility for your mistakes, missed deadlines, and failing to meet standards. Examining the errors, identifying the root cause and what needs to change, developing a strategy to correct the problem and creating a plan that will prevent you from making the same type of mistake. 

Level Five:  Taking Level Four and running with it!  Executing the plan with a clear focus,  discipline and extraordinary effort.  In Level five you are consciously using your strengths to enhance your performance.  You are willing to do what it takes to break down any roadblocks to your success.

Everyone wants to work with a Level Five.  They are the leaders.  They take risks and use their failures as building blocks.  They are always looking for ways to be more effective, efficient and add value as a team player. Having your own personal  career coach will help you become a Level Five and maintain that energy when events or that surround you, or a challenging boss tries to drag you down the spectrum.  

We all fall short once in awhile.  If you don’t miss the mark occasionally you are not pushing yourself and trying new ways to add value professionally.  

“I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots in my career.  I’ve lost almost 300 games.  26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.  I’ve failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”  Michael Jordan

Become the Michael Jordan within your profession.  Don’t be ordinary, take the steps you need to take to be extraordinary.

Please email me at Lsilvershein@arkcareercoaching.com and let me know what you have done this week that pushes you toward being a Level Five.  It is within your reach, it is up to you to reach Level Five and to stay there with gusto.