ACCOUNTABILITY; IT STARTS WITH YOU

Think about something you want in life. Something you really, really want.

If I only had a…………… What would you fill the blank with?
Maybe it’s a promotion or a raise?
Or a better relationship with your boss, your spouse, your kids?
Getting a degree?
Finding a new job?
Making a difference in your workplace or your community?
Overcoming a persistent obstacle?

The worthwhile things in life are the “results” of our endeavors. This class is about helping you
find the way to get the results you want. Only you have the power of personal accountability to
overcome the obstacles you face and achieve the results you want.

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Accountability; It Starts with You

The Partners in Leadership Workplace Accountably Study released in 2018 states that there is an
accountability crisis in
organizations today.
Lack
Lack of
of Accountability
Accountability Has
Has a
a Price
Price
This study involved
•• Misalignment
Misalignment around
around key
key priorities
priorities and
and desired
desired results.
results.
40,000 respondents
•• Declining engagement levels in the workplace
Declining engagement levels in the workplace
over multiple years, •• Low
Low level
level of
of trust
trust within
within the
the culture
culture ofof the
the organization.
organization.
•• Problems
Problems with collaboration and cross-functional teamwork.
with collaboration and cross-functional teamwork.
with samplings from a
•• Low
Low morale
morale inin every
every quarter
quarter of
of the
the organization.
organization.
wide variety of •• High
High turnover
turnover due
due to
to confused
confused expectations
expectations andand poor
poor
management
management practices.
practices.
industries and job titles.
The report
overwhelmingly shows
that the practice of accountability in the workplace has resulted in the view that accountability
is something that happens to you when things go wrong, rather than something you do to
yourself to ensure results. Furthermore, the study suggests that improvements in workplace
accountability at the individual, team and organizational level can yield significant
improvements in performance and desired results in each of those areas.

The study further surmises that accountability is the “low-hanging fruit” for optimizing
organizational performance and accelerating organizational change efforts in today’s
organizations. Lack of accountability in the workplace and the fact that we are largely getting
accountability wrong pays a significant price for leaders, teams and organizations.

1-Misalignment around key priorities and desired results –

• 70% of survey participants think their organization’s key results are in jeopardy or
altogether doomed.
• 85% of survey participants weren’t even sure what their organizations are trying to
achieve.
2-Declining engagement levels in the workplace –
• 93% of those surveyed are unable to align their work or take accountability for desired
results.
3-Low level of trust within the culture of the organization.
4-Problems with collaboration and cross-functional teamwork.
5-Low morale in every quarter of the organization.
6-High turnover due to confused expectations and poor management practices.

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Accountability; It Starts with You

One third of those surveyed feel their priorities change frequently, creating confusion.

Does the word accountability trigger your natural fight-or-flight instinct to run for cover to avoid
the fallout you think is to come?

Most people typically view accountability as something that belittles them, happens only when
performance declines, or occurs when problems develop, or results fail to materialize. Many
think accountability only rises when something goes wrong. When everything is going well and
moving smoothly, does anyone ask. “Who’s accountable for this success?

The Dictionary definition for

Accountability: Definitions
Definitions from
from the
the Dictionary
Dictionary
Subject to having to report,
explain, or justify; being Accountability
Accountability ::
answerable subject
subject to
to having
having to
to report,
report, explain,
explain, or
or
justify; being answerable
justify; being answerable
The negative view of
accountability is reinforced in Responsibility
Responsibility ::
the dictionary definition. aa duty
duty or or task
task that
that you
you are
are required
required or
or
“subject to having to” for expected to
expected to do do
anything unpleasant clearly
means something is about to
happen to you. Maybe that is why accountability is being avoided today. Listen to theses accident
reports completed by real people on official forms to explain their accidents.

• “Coming home, I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree that I don’t have.”
• “The telephone pole was approaching fast. I was attempting to swerve out of its path it
struck my front.”
• “I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over
the embankment.”
• “The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth!”

Passing the buck, dodging the bullet, running for cover, that’s the natural human reaction when
it comes to the world view of accountability.

What about responsibility? The dictionary definition states; “a duty or task that you are required
or expected to do.” Many people use these 2 terms interchangeably, but they’re not.

The success or failure of an organization is based on one key concept: Personal Accountability

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Accountability; It Starts with You

There is a societal eagerness to shift the blame on anyone and anything to avoid taking blame for
negative outcomes.
• “It’s the bankers fault”
• “If marketing only gave us what we needed, we could really make sales happen.”
• “It’s the teacher’s fault my son failed.”
• “It’s my manager’s fault…”
• “If only my employees …”
• “If only my wife, my husband, my children, my neighbors…”
Like a disease that gets progressively worse, the inability to accept accountability for one’s actions
deteriorates communication, relationships and an organization’s vitality.

In the book The Oz Principle, accountability is defined as:

“A personal choice to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrate the ownership
necessary for achieving
desired results.” Doesn’t
Personal
Personal Accountability
Accountability this definition give a positive
look at accountability!
In
In the
the book
book The
The Oz
Oz Principle,
Principle, accountability
accountability is is This definition leads to
defined as:
defined as: possibilities and a forward
“A
“A personal
personal choice
choice to
to rise
rise above
above one’s
one’s view of life.
circumstances
circumstances andand demonstrate
demonstrate
the
the ownership
ownership necessary
necessary It changes the question of
for
for achieving
achieving desired
desired results.”
results.” “Who is accountable for
Connors,
Connors,Smith
Smithand
andHickman
Hickmanin
inThe
TheOz
OzPrinciple
Principle failing to achieve the result”
to “Who is accountable for
achieving the result?”

Do you know who the actor Jim Carey is? Carrey grew up in a poor family that at one point lived
in a van on a relative’s lawn. But Carry believed in own future and in what he wanted to
accomplish in his life. One night early into his career, he thought about his poor circumstances,
the beat-up car he drove, the few and far between comedy jobs he booked. He took out his
checkbook and wrote himself a check for $10 million dollars, noting “for acting services rendered.
“He stuck the check into his wallet. This action along with his personal resolve to take
accountability and make it happen. Over the next 5 years Carrey’s belief in the result he desired
led him to the world success of Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Liar, Liar. At the peak of his career,
his per-film paycheck reached $20 Million. Incredible coincident? Luck? Magic? Not for a second.
His success was a testament to the power of personal accountability.

You don’t have to be rich or famous to apply this principle. The principle of personal
accountability can work for anyone.

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Accountability; It Starts with You

With this new definition for

accountability, we can see
that

Responsibility is given to
you.

Accountability is something
you take on yourself.

Imagine there is a physical line you can walk on, let’s call it the Line of Accountability. When you
can walk on top of the line, you are
exhibiting Victor (Accountable)
Behaviors. Staying Above the Line
is a choice that enables you to make
things happen.

Below the Line there are Victim

Behaviors, our responses (or lack of
responses) to obstacles and
problems that we allow things to
happen to us.

Victimization has infected much of our world from small, inconsequential acts to life-destroying
abuses, that it affects us all each and every day.

Why do all of us, even the most virtuous, fall so easily Below The Line from time to time? Of
course, making excuses is so much easier than accepting responsibility. Consider all the excuse
invoking jokes you’ve heard about arriving late to work, missing a deadline, neglecting an
assignment, forgetting an appointment, losing a document, blowing an opportunity, or just plain
failing.

Below are some actual excuses given to the IRS by tardy tax-return filers;
• I didn’t know today was the deadline.
• I didn’t realize it was April.
• I lost the paperwork.

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Accountability; It Starts with You

• I hate numbers. If I can’t

balance my checkbooks, what
makes anyone think I can correctly
fila a
• tax return!
• I was too tired!
• I’m afraid of owing money.
• I don’t want to know how
much I made because I don’t know
where I spent it.
• I was afraid going to a tax
professional would be worse than going to the dentist.
• As I was getting the tax forms out of the box, I was bitten by a black widow spider
• and I have been too sick since then to complete the return. I am not really
• accusing your office of sending the spider with the forms, but let’s face it, fellas,
• I didn’t put it there. Can I get some extra time to do my taxes?
• I am recently divorced, and I was lucky to get out with my life, much less my tax
• forms.
• My husband and my tax return have been misplaced. Can you please send me
• replacements?
Remember that it is OK to fall below the line, just don’t stay there!

Let’s identify some of those Below the Line behaviors.

You might even recognize using one or two of them yourself!

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Accountability; It Starts with You

Unlike other games, the more often

you play The Blame Game, the more
you lose.

Pretending not to know that there is

a problem is just like hiding our head
in the sand. The problem won’t just
go away because you can’t see it.

There is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There
was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody
could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was
Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody
wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody
could have.

It’s Not My Job - No matter where

you look, at work or at home, you
will see examples of this stage of the
victim cycle every day. How many
times have you heard, or spoken,
these words? This age-old excuse is
a well-worn phrase that has been
used in countless discussions to
excuse inaction, redirect blame, and
avoid responsibility.

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Accountability; It Starts with You

This stage reflects an awareness that something needs to be done to get the result, coupled with
an acute avoidance of getting involved. People assuming this victim attitude seek shelter from
what they perceive to be additional effort without sufficient reward, from personal sacrifice
without benefit. Why take on this added responsibility?

“It’s not my job” gained legitimacy in a past era of job descriptions that set boundaries across
which no worker dared step, of performance expectations that focused on individuals’ ability to
do their job rather than on the ability to contribute to getting the result, and of organizations
that assumed it was okay for departments to fight for what they needed instead of working for
what would best benefit the company.

Imagine you walk into a store seeking help. Encouraged by the company’s heavily advertised
slogan, “We do what it takes to make you happy”. You then are shocked to hear, “I’m sorry, but I
can’t help you, that’s not my job.” Nothing infuriates most people more that becoming a pawn in
an endless cycle of “It’s not my job”, as you bounce from one person to the next, finding no one
willing to take responsibility. The price of such Below the Line behavior becomes difficult when
you must pay it, which is precisely the point.

Whenever people use this phrase to duck responsibility, avoiding an opportunity to play a role in
getting results, someone pays the price. “It’s not my job” means “don’t blame me, it’s not my
fault.”

“Don’t blame me” becomes the

catch phrase for transferring fault to
the other guy. This well practiced
stage of finger pointing denies one's
own responsibility for poor results
and seeks to shift the blame to
others.

Blaming can take many forms, and it

occurs in even the best of
companies. Herman Miller, a widely
respected furniture manufacturer,
that is committed to customer service. The Marketing and Sales Department took it upon
themselves to make a change in the packaging label that was placed on ever package that left for
shipment, it read;

“This furniture has been carefully inspected before being packed for
shipment. It was in perfect condition when packed and received by the
transportation company for shipment and delivery to you. If, when you open
this crate or carton, you find that the piece of furniture has been damage, hold

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Accountability; It Starts with You

shipment intact and call the transportation company immediately, requesting

that they send an agent to supply you with an inspection report. This report is
necessary, along with the original freight bill, to support a claim. Damage
received during transit is the responsibility of the transportation company. If
the above instructions are followed, we will be glad to assist in handling claims.
Herman Miller, Inc.”

This disclaimer lays the groundwork for the company to point the finger at the transportation
company if anything went wrong, and it reveals a Below the Line attitude toward customer
satisfaction. The disclaimer as it appeared communicated a feeling of ‘we did our jobs; it it’s
wrong it must be the other guy’s fault.” Not wanting to play the victim game, the company
changed the label to read,

“This furniture has been crafted with pride and care and reflects our
commitment for supply you with the best products available in the world. If,
when you open this crate or carton, you notice that the piece of furniture has
been damaged, hold the shipment and the original freight bill intact and call your
Herman Miller dealer immediately. The transportation company should send an
agent to supply you with an inspection report. This report is necessary, along
with the original freight bill, to support a damage claim. We are fully committed
to your compete satisfaction and ask only that you follow the above procedure
in the event of product damage during shipment.”

Now who is taking accountability for any issues?

Out of the finger-pointing and confusion stage naturally grows the next response in the victim cycle: “Just
tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.” Unfortunately, such a plea, while seeming to indicate a willingness to
change behavior, simply transfers
accountability to someone else. To
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
advance form of excuse making
because it stems from the victim’s
desire to prepare his or her excuse
before ever taking action.

Corporate cultures of the past have relied heavily on a command and control model to employee
involvement that promotes this stage of the victim cycle. “You just do what you are told, do it
well, and we will take care of you for the rest of your life.” Some people still think their

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Accountability; It Starts with You

organization as a place where you begin work in the morning by “checking your brain at the door.”
Today’s organization are fleeing this model in an effort to create an environment that attracts,
develops and retains the best and the brightest people.

Cover Your Tail – where people continue to seek imagined protection by crafting elaborate, time
consuming, and precise stories as to why they couldn’t possibly be blamed for something that
might go wrong. These stores usually get fabricated after the fact. However, as amazing as it may
seem, many excuse makers prepare
these stories before the results
come in, or are even known, just in
case an eventual problem or
potential failure should occur. They
spend as much time on the story as
they do the work.
Cover your tail comes in many
forms, ranging from documenting
everything in writing to sending
back-up email messages that can be
used as later proof of innocence.
Most of us have experienced someone coming to substantiate a sequence of events or a series of
conversations in order to substantiate an alibi. Sometimes the cover-your-tail stage of the victim
cycle plays itself out more subtly;
• Individual who actually run and hide in order to disassociate themselves from the
situations that could erupt into potential problems.;
• They avoid meetings where they might be put on the line, or
• They fail to open mail that they know might bear some anticipated bad news.

The effort expended to cover-your-tail almost always produces little more than reasons and
justification for why people are not responsible, not to blame and not accountable for things
that go wrong. Cover your tail behavior drains both the time and resources of all involved.

Wait And See – People remain stalled

in the victim cycle when they choose
to wait and see if things will get
better. But in this stage, problems can
only get worse. A good example of
this behavior can be found inn the
following true story.

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Accountability; It Starts with You

A Lesson From…Bird Droppings?

Written by Sean McPheat, 3 March, 2016

I read an amusing story recently that made me think seriously about being a victim of
circumstances and the attitude we should have about things.
Apparently, reports had been coming in about a massive pile of bird droppings that had been
building up at the Amherst Town Hall attic area, in Massachusetts, USA.

Naturally, this was causing a health hazard, so the Select Board allocated $125,000 to clean up
the mess. A local broker instead offered to organize a volunteer group called the pigeon busters,
who would clean up the droppings (over 55 gallons of the stuff) for free. One of the Select Board
members pointed out that the volunteers wouldn’t be insured, and the required insurance would
be a very expensive proposition. The broker said that it wasn’t a liability issue, and he would
gladly sign a waiver. So the leaders sought legal advice and it was concluded that ‘regardless of
who did the clean-up, the town could still be sued”.

As you might expect, the poop kept on piling up, causing town-hall visitors to worry about health
issues. As a last resort, the broker suggested that someone fix the window through which the
pigeons were entering, so that the problem didn’t get worse!

It got me realizing that issues sometimes get so out of hand that we don’t realize what is most
important. We often suffer from victimitis, a disease that can spread like wildfire if we’re not
careful. Victims often blame other people or outside influences for their current situations and
seldom like to make decisions that will take the challenges away. In the story, the Select Board
could have taken the situation and dealt with it effectively by paying the money for the clean-up
or by agreeing to allow the volunteers to carry out the work. Unfortunately, they procrastinated,
so it became difficult for anyone to make a decision. They forgot that the real problem wasn’t
just clearing up the gallons of poop; it was dealing with the main cause in the first place!

Sometimes, we run the risk of suffering from victimitis ourselves. This is shown when we blame
others for our position, situation or circumstances. We don’t want to take responsibility for
changing it, maybe out of fear or lack of confidence. Whatever the reason, being a victim of
circumstances means we relinquish power to deal with things and this erodes our confidence and
hence our decision-making skills are diminished. We often get put in situations where we need
to make decisions that we may not have brought upon ourselves.

Regardless, we should identify if we can look from a different perspective and solve problems that
might take the situation in a different direction. As we often say, we can visit Pity City, but we
shouldn’t live there! I can only hope that the Board decided to deal with that broken window
before they started with the clean-up. If not, they would only remain victims again in the future!

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Accountability; It Starts with You

Victim Cycle Self-Assessment

by Partners In Leadership | Mar 2, 2011

Now is a good time to take a personal inventory and assess your own level of accountability by
gauging how much time you spend Below The Line, stuck in the Victim Cycle or playing the blame
game. Remember, it’s not wrong to go Below The Line; it’s human nature. We all do it—some
more than others. Usually, the temptation to fall Below The Line comes when we are facing
difficult obstacles to results we need to achieve.

Answer either “yes” or “no” as to whether the scenario presented in a given question has
happened to you in the last four weeks. Be sure to be honest with yourself.

Victim Cycle Self-Examination

1. Were you surprised by negative feedback from someone else when you thought all along
you were doing your very best to solve a problem?

2. Have you spent time blaming others and pointing fingers when things did not go the way
you wanted them to go?

3. Did you suspect something would become a problem for someone else or for your
organization but did nothing about it?

4. Have you spent time covering your tail just in case things went wrong?

5. Have you said, “It’s not my job” and expected someone else to solve a problem?

6. Did you feel totally powerless, with no control, over circumstances or situation?

7. Have you found yourself waiting to see if a situation would miraculously resolve itself?

8. Have you said, “Just tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it?”

9. Have you felt that you would have done things differently if it was your own company,
but chose not to say anything?

10. Do you tell stories about how someone took advantage of you (a boss, a friend, a
contractor, a salesperson, etc.)?

Once you have completed the Victim Cycle Self-Examination, total up your scores. Give yourself
one point for every yes response and zero points for every no response. After totaling your
points, compare your total to the scoring table below.

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Accountability; It Starts with You

Victim Cycle Self-Examination Scoring

IF YOU SCORED 0 POINTS: You are not being honest with yourself. Go back and try it again, but
this time sit in a closet so no one can see your results.
IF YOU SCORED ONLY 1 POINT: You know you are capable of falling Below the Line, but you
probably do so more often than you’re willing to admit.
IF YOU SCORED 2-4 POINTS: You should take some satisfaction from the fact that you’re only
human.
IF YOU SCORED 5-7 POINTS: You realize that you can easily fall Below the Line
IF YOU SCORED 8-10 POINTS: You are very honest and quite normal.

We have just seen some of the Victim Behaviors that are used when we are Below the Line. But what
about the Victor Behaviors Above the Line?

There are 4 steps that we can use

to get and remain Above the Line.

See It - Acknowledge Reality

Own It - Embrace It
Solve It - Find a Solution
Do It - Make it Happen

Seeing the world as it really is takes courage. Most of us think we are generally right about things.
We see the world through
our own lens and what we
see is “the way it is”. So how
do you see the reality?

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Accountability; It Starts with You

First, acknowledge the problem – identifying your Below the Line behavior is a good place to
begin, seeing that something is “not right” then acknowledging the problem, and choose to move
away from the victim behavior will start the move to seeing reality.

Second – Ask for and offer feedback – Although it can cause some pain and embarrassment at
time, honest input helps create the accurate picture or reality. No one person can make a perfectly
accurate description of reality so you must draw from many other people’s perception.
Accountable people constantly seek feedback from a wide range of associates, friends, family
consultant, or other advisors. Remember, others perception of reality, whether you agree with
them or not, always adds important nuances to your own perception. The more perspectives you
obtain, the clearer your view of reality will become.

Third, Be Realistic – Usually you don’t just arrive and find yourself in a situation, and likewise,
expecting an immediate solution is not likely either.

Next, Be honest with yourself; admit mistakes – only when you can acknowledge your role in a
situation can you be part of a solution.

Last – Consider all the facts,

Aron Ralston was an outdoor adventure seeker wo ended up with his arm pinner by boulder while
hiking in southern Utah. When Aaron chose to hiking solo in the Utah desert, he was blind to the
dangers. He was an experienced outdoorsman and knew better, so why didn’t he see any of the
dangers? He only saw what he wanted to see in order to justify doing what he wanted to do.
Blind spots!

While hiking, Aaron dislodged and fell with an 800-pound boulder that eventually trapped his
right hand against a canyon wall. After days of screaming for help, he realized he was stuck and
alone and in real danger. Acknowledging the reality, that no help was on the way, Aaron made
the decision to do the unthinkable: amputate his own right arm below the elbow with a
pocketknife.

Having the courage to See and Acknowledge the reality and examine your blind spots will help
you avoid life’s big problems and also help you with the little everyday troubles too.

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Accountability; It Starts with You

When it comes to achieving the results you want – that goal or objective that will make your life
richer, are you a renter or
an owner? When you own
something, whether it’s a
car, a work assignment, or a
relationship, you make an
investment, usually
involving some degree of
sacrifice. When you rent,
you can walk away without
losing anything.
Are you approaching what
you want with the high
level of commitment,
interest, and investment
that only an owner can possess? Or are you going through the motions, half committed to the
goal leaving yourself an easy exit?
Be personally invested – When you’re “all in” and take ownership you will be motivated to do
what you might otherwise never be able to do.

Ask how I contributed – There are two side to every story. The victim side stresses the part of the
story that say you played no role in what happened. People most often fail to own their
circumstances because they cannot bring themselves to accept the other side of the story – the
accountable side. When you focus only on what happens to you, you block out the accountable
side of the story, the side that suggests you just might have played some part. To truly own it you
have to see both sides of the story, linking what you have done, or failed to do, with your current
circumstances. See the whole story, see both side fairly, even the side that might bruise your ego.

Answer for personal commitments – Always do what you say you will do, when you say you will
do it. Honor your commitments.

Act on feedback - Time to embrace the feedback you received that may not have agreed with
your thoughts

Align my work with the results the organization is trying to achieve -

A person that owns their circumstances never allows the actions or someone or something else
to keep them stuck Below the Line. Instead, the accountable person accepts whatever ways in
which their own behavior contributed to the situation and sets about overcoming those
circumstances, no matter how difficult.

You pay a price when you don’t own it. You empower yourself when you do.

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Accountability; It Starts with You

Ask myself, “What else can I do?” – Asking this question over and over is the key to making
progress. Repeatedly
asking “What else can I
do?” forces you to drill
down through any
obstacles to find
solutions. Solutions that
tend to lurk below the
surface of your easygoing,
every day, even routine
way of thinking. Finding
solutions is just like
digging for gold. You’ve
got to move a lot of dirt to
get to the gold.

Redefine Boundaries – Some boundaries are simply stumbling blocks to the best solution.
Test Assumptions – We limit ourselves with imagined boundaries that may not really exist, but
because we fail to test them they define our reality.. Test your assumptions, those ideas you think
could work. Think outside the box. Find new ways of thinking. Remember: If at first you don’t
succeed, try, try again!

Recognize that some things are out of my control – and don't liner there spinning your wheels.
Move on to the things you can change.

The Wall Street Journal conducted a survey of CEOs who revealed what kept them up at night.
The top 5 vote getters in the “worry” survey that received more than 50% of the votes, none of
which they have control over:
• Employees
• The economy
• Competition
• The political environment
• Government regulation

What else can I do to achieve the results I want? – Make it a habit to ask yourself this question,
over and over, because it’s not normal to succeed every time. People fall down. Successful
people don’t always win, but they do spring back up when they fall. As Vince Lombardi put it:
“The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.”

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Accountability; It Starts with You

Nestle Purina and the Alpo EZ-Open Can

The Purina Company had planned to introduce an easy-to-open Alpo dog food can by April 2003,
but highly successful preliminary market tests convinced the marketing department to accelerate
the new products launch. Using concepts and principles of the Oz Principle Accountability
Training –like asking What else can we do to get the results we want? - the Alpo EZ-Open Can
team got to work.
Coordinating the activities at 3 plant locations - Weirton, WV, Allentown, PA and Crete, Nebraska
– the EA-Open team assembled people across several functions to accomplish the impossible:
cutting marker introduction by more than a year. For their extraordinary efforts, the Alpo EZ-
Open can team received the company’s prestigious Pillar of Excellence Award. Marketing manage
Kristin Pontius expressed her elation with the results in a recognition letter that went out to
everyone involved.

“I wanted to write a quick note of congratulations to the Alpo EZ-Open Can team. On
Tuesday of this week, this team was awarded the prestigious Nestle Purina Petcare Company
(NPPC) Pillars of Excellence Award by CEO Pat McGinnis. This award is very well deserved. You
worked at an incredible rate with great dedication to accomplish your goal. EZ-Open cans began
shipping one year and one week prior to original plans. Not only did you meet your goal; you
exceeded it as EZO cans shipped even three weeks earlier than expected. You did all of this while
facing multiple obstacles, including needing to design special lids, having to hand orient cans until
equipment arrived, and needing to fill an overwhelming volume push while maintaining quality
and integrating everything into the NPC supply system. All goals were met, and many beaten,
through the hard work of a team that wouldn’t fail to overcome all obstacles.”
The Allentown, Crete, and Weirton factory teams did it in a way that set a powerful example for
the rest of the company. Their answer to “what else can I do?” The seemingly impossible!

Having a solve It mentality means developing and honing a creative mind set. It’s about pushing
yourself to think differently, to try new ideas and see if they work.

The last step to achieve accountability is to “swoosh” Just Do It! Make it happen.

Clarify responsibilities –
Organize the steps that will be
taken, created a plan and
assign responsibilities

Report Pro-actively – Don’t

wait for something to go
wrong before you report
progress on a situation or
project. Keep others, your

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Accountability; It Starts with You

team and your supervisor, informed on a regular basis, including the positive steps that have
been attained.

Relentlessly follow up – For you to be fully accountable you will need to be aware of the
progress, good and bad.

Do what I say I will do – Build your reputation on keeping your word.

Measure progress – Not just with the situation or project, but with yourself as well. Have you
been able to complete the plan and maintain behavior Above the Line?

Constantly ask yourself – What Am I accountable to do and by when?

Doing It is more than just working harder. It’s more than just fighting like crazy against any
obstacles. It’ organizing what you’re going to do. It’s working smart. Building a plan. Following
a path. It’s bringing a logical flow into your actions , and following through to do what you say
you will do.

At the Do It stage, it’s best to follow the words of Yoda!

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Accountability; It Starts with You

It was supposed to be Walter Carr's first day of work with a moving company Sunday when his car broke
down. But, instead of calling out, he walked through the night to be on time.

Carr's vehicle stopped

working the night before
his first day with the
moving company
Bellhops, and he knew he
couldn't miss it. So, he
decided to walk. Carr
began his hike from
Homewood, Alabama, to
the town of Pelham,
Alabama, at midnight. He
walked at least 14 miles before police picked him up at 4 a.m., reports CBS affiliate WIAT-TV.

Once police heard his story, they took Carr to breakfast. Then, they gave him a ride the rest of the
way to the home of the Lamey family, who he was scheduled to help move that morning.

Carr arrived at the home of Jenny Hayden Lamey and her family before the rest of the movers
arrived. "I asked Walter if he wanted to go upstairs and rest until everyone else arrived," said
Lamey in a Facebook post, "He declined and said he could go ahead and get started." So, the
family and Carr began packing up the home, chatting along the way.

Somehow my original post was deleted. Here is it again!! I am overwhelmed that it was shared
over 800 times in one day!...

Posted by Jenny Hayden Lamey on Sunday, July 15, 2018

The first step to Creating a Culture of Accountability in the workplace, your community or at
home starts with Personal
Accountability.
That means staying Above the
Line consistently in how you work
with people and obtain results
with consideration and integrity,
keeping your word, doing what
you say you will do.

Obtaining Joint Accountability will

allow you to share your
knowledge of Personal

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Accountability; It Starts with You

Accountability with others around you. As leaders it becomes our duty to identify the victim
behaviors we identify in our co-workers and partners and to coach them and assist them to
become Victors Above the Line.

Now the momentum starts as you begin to include your unit, team, committee, family to Team
Accountability where all members exhibit victor behaviors. Then on to reach across the entire
organization. But it all Starts with You!

Here are some quick start tips for Getting

the Team Above the Line
Each Team Member must take personal
responsibility for their performance –
remember that responsibilities are
something an individual is given. Every
employee is given these basic
responsibilities.

• Be on time
• Do what is expected
• During work hours, work
• Don’t take sick leave when you are well

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Accountability; It Starts with You

Accountability; It Starts with You Name:

Don’t forget to return this answer sheet with your telework log

1. Responsibility is a duty that you are expected to do.

a. true
b. false

2. Accountability is something that you take.

a. true
b. false

3. Another Names for the Victim Cycle is

a. Fun all the Time
b. Excuses, Excuses
c. Everybody Wins
d. The Blame Game

4. “It’s not my job” excuse is used to

a. Excuse inaction
b. Redirect blame
c. Avoid responsibility
d. All the above

5. What of the four steps we use to stay Above the Line of Accountability?
a. See It, Take It, Use It, Return It
b. See It, Own It, Solve It, Do It
c. See It, Make It, Try It, Do It
d. See It, Solve It, Try It, Do It

6. Which action is showing personal accountability at work?

a. Keeping my cell phone in my hand while I work so I can check my texts
and Facebook accounts
b. Showing up on time and spending the first 20 minutes eating my
breakfast
c. Reporting to work on time, prepared to start the day and working
during work hours
d. Doing what is expected of me when my supervisor is on site and
watching.

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