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The 12 Week Year — Chapter-18: Taking Ownership
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Chapter 18 Taking Ownership We have all heard stories of people who refuse to take responsibility for their actions and blame others for their failures. It’s their parents’ fault, their boss’s fault, the fault of the conservatives or liberals, the cigarette companies, the fast-food industry—the system is out to get them. Whah, whah, whah! Someone or something else is always the cause of their failure. Our culture supports this victim mentality more and more. In fact, our legal system even promotes it. We now reward people for not taking responsibility for their choices and finding someone or something other than themselves to blame. In spite of the perceived benefits, people with a victim mind-set pay a terrific price. A victim allows his success to be limited by external circumstances, people, or events. As long as we continue to be victims of our circumstances, we will experience life as a struggle and others as a threat. Accountability, on the other hand, allows you to gain control of your life, to shape your destiny, and to fulfill your potential. In its purest form, accountability is simply taking ownership of one’s actions and results. The fact of the matter is that successful people are accountable. Accountability is not about blaming yourself or punishing others. It is simply a stance in life in which people acknowledge their role in outcomes. Accountability is not concerned with fault, but rather what it takes to create better results. Until we and our organizations accept ownership of our actions and our outcomes, we will be helpless to change or improve our results. Once we accept that our actions have an impact on the outcome then, and only then, are we truly empowered to create the results we desire. When we acknowledge our accountability, our focus shifts from defending our actions to learning from them. Failures simply become
feedback in the ongoing process of becoming excellent. Unfavorable circumstances and uncooperative people don’t prohibit us from reaching our goals. We stand in a different way, thereby creating different results. Here is how Danny Fuentes internalized it. As I came home from your 12 Week Year seminar I was very enthusiastic and ready to make some needed change in the way I conduct my business, and really get to work. As it turns out, I could not log on to the system and it took a week and a half to finally get that resolved. By then we were well into the holidays and I was falling right back into the same old “looking for an excuse” mind set. I was feeling that I had not even gotten started and I was already two weeks behind. I certainly could find it easy to blame the lack of access to the website, holiday schedules, and the white-chip busy work that lets me feel like I can justify my job. In the end, this is simply about being accountable to no one but yourself and not looking for excuses even when they are right there asking you to use them. It is a difficult adjustment to do the hard things, those things that I have told myself that after 23 years of working here, I deserve not to do. In the end, it is a great opportunity to use the tools provided to make some needed and sometimes very painful changes. It really came down to the reality that if I am not willing to be disciplined in my daily activity, nothing will change and my vision will never come to pass. I have no one to blame but myself for my failure or success. The challenge is to somehow stay in the frame of mind that allows me to remember that the little things done today matter. I am appreciative of your sharing this process in a way that I can internalize to change my way of thinking, and more importantly, doing. This cannot be the flavor of the month for me. This must be a lifestyle change that I continue to develop and perfect. I am under no illusion that old habits are easy to break. This however, has allowed me to have a process as opposed to just a desire to improve.
Clearly, Danny gets it. There are always roadblocks and setbacks in any worthwhile endeavor and it’s easy to use them as reasons—or rather, excuses—why you’re not able to complete the work that needs to be done. At times, you might even feel justified in your excuses. There may be certain circumstances beyond your control that derail you, insurmountable obstacles that no one in his or her right mind would expect you to overcome. When Dustin Carter was a young boy he was rushed to the hospital with a rare blood disease. To save his life the doctors had to amputate both of his arms and both of his legs. Can you imagine? I can’t. I’ve had my share of challenges, but nothing like this. I can’t begin to fathom the horror, waking up from surgery with no arms or legs. How do you not feel sorry for yourself, feeling like life has dealt you a bad hand? If anyone ever had a reason to feel sorry for himself, it was Dustin. The funny thing is that if Dustin felt that way, it wasn’t for long. Not only did he not let his physical challenges hold him back, he learned to excel physically. Imagine waking up one day with no arms and legs, thinking about what you want to do in life. Of all the choices you have, wrestler would probably not be high on the list. Not so with Dustin. In fact, wrestling is what he chose to do—and through hard work and hours of training, he became a very accomplished wrestler. Dustin did more than just overcome his physical challenges; he destroyed them! And in the process, became an inspiration to millions of other people who face challenges of all sorts. Barriers? Really? When I think about what Dustin had to overcome, and I look at the things I let hold me back, I’m embarrassed. What about you? What do you let stand in your way? Think about the barriers and obstacles that you’ve let keep you from your goals. Isn’t it time that you stopped making excuses and letting things stand between you and the life you want to have? The life you are currently living is a result of the choices you’ve made. You can blame the circumstances, your upbringing, your family, the schools you attended, your boss, or the politicians. The fact is, you don’t control any of that. What you control is how you respond. Being accountable is not easy, and at times it is very
unpleasant, but if you are serious about your goals, you must take ownership of your situation. Taking ownership means that you stop looking outside yourself. Stop letting all those things keep you from living the life you desire, the life you are capable of. In the end, nobody, outside of a few close friends, really cares if you succeed or not. You can make all the excuses you want; the world doesn’t care. As harsh as that sounds, it’s the truth. Oh, you may from time to time get a little sympathy, and maybe if you’re really lucky a free beer, but that’s about it. Giving away your power will never create the success you long for. Resolve right now to never again let excuses get in the way of you achieving your goals. Actions to Create Greater Accountability in Your Life Here are four things you can do to foster greater accountability and get more of what you want in life.
- Resolve never to be the victim again. You cannot achieve a life of significance if you continue to give your power away. Make a decision to never be the victim again. Notice when you are making excuses and settling for mediocrity. Focus on the things you can control. Accountability is first a mind-set, then an action. To live your vision, take ownership of your thinking, actions, and results.
- Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Feeling sorry for yourself produces nothing but self-pity and, if you do enough of it, depression. It’s okay to be disappointed and sad when things don’t go your way, but don’t let that linger and turn into self-pity. Learn to manage your thinking and your attitude.
- Be willing to take different actions. If you want different results, then you need to be willing to do things differently and do different things. As my friend Lou Cassara, author of From Selling to Serving, says, if you want something you don’t currently have, you need to do something you’re not currently doing. Taking action will not only
change your outcomes; it will also change your attitude. I’ve found that when I’m feeling discouraged, one of the quickest ways to change my outlook is by taking action. 4. Associate with “Accountables.” There is a proverb that says, “He who walks with the wise grows wise.” Who you associate with matters. Stay away from victims and excuse makers. Treat that mind-set like a deadly, contagious disease. Nurture relationships with people who are accountable. If you have important people in your life that are excuse makers, be a positive influence; have them read this chapter and model accountability. “Everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” —Robert Louis Stevenson Take a few minutes right now and capture any actions that you would like to take to create more accountability in your life and your business:
Thinking Shift Accountability is a massive thinking shift. As we’ve discussed, our society views accountability as consequences. Accountability is not consequences; it’s ownership. It is the realization that even though you don’t control the circumstances, you do control how you respond. It is the understanding that the quality of your choices determines the quality of your life. It is the recognition that in any situation you always, always, always have choice.
The choices you have in a given situation may not be very attractive, but you still have choices, and that is an important and empowering distinction. How you think about accountability affects everything. Team Application The long-term benefits of accountability are clear: better results, an increased sense of control, less stress, and a greater general sense of well- being, for organizations as well as individuals. Imagine a scenario where the culture of your company embraces accountability. Where accountability is viewed as positive and where associates willingly agree to accountable relationships. Consider the possibility of an organization where instead of having to hold people accountable, that accountability is simply a part of the way everyone operates. Leaders need to move beyond the limited notion of accountability as consequences. Every organization we’ve worked with talks about holding their people accountable. Accountability cannot be imposed, demanded, or coerced. It is an inevitable outgrowth of freedom. As leaders try to hold their people accountable, it puts people on the defensive and unintentionally produces a victim culture. The very act of holding someone accountable leaves no room for the individual to own their actions or the result. Even the most accountable among us naturally push back. People deliver on what they own. As a leader, one of your main jobs is to foster ownership of the things that matter most. That won’t happen if you continue to try to hold your associates accountable. I’m not saying you don’t confront. I’m not saying you don’t apply consequences. Consequences play a role in shaping behavior, but you will never get discretionary effort without ownership. You need to create the space for your people to own it. Here are a few tips on how you can you create accountability within your organization. Become aware of victim conversations. Take notice of how you and others in your organization talk about failure. Focus those
conversations on first acknowledging reality and then on what can be done differently in the future. Remember that the results we get are directly linked to our thinking. Practice a way of thinking and speaking that recognizes ownership of your actions and results. Model accountability. Actions speak louder than words. If you want others to be accountable, then demonstrate accountability in action. Be a role model by making it both expected and safe to embrace accountability. Clarify expectations. Accountability starts with clear expectations. Knowing what is expected is fundamental to individual and organizational accountability. As an individual you need to be very specific with regard to the results you’re targeting and how you will measure success. Learn from life. You will make mistakes. You will not always get the result you’re after, especially on the first try. These failures are full of information. Learn to view them as valuable feedback that can be used to improve future outcomes. God has a great way of giving us the same lessons over and over until we learn them. Focus on the future. Accountability is not about the past, but about the future. So often we make judgments about the past as either good or bad, when, in many cases, the past just is. Forget about blame, forget about guilt, and move forward by focusing on the future and what you can do to get better results. Your thoughts and beliefs regarding accountability shape your actions and the results of the organization. What might be different if your view of accountability shifted? How would your culture be different if you confronted advisors and associates with their freedom? How would that change your role and your relationships with your team? When you as a leader change the way you engage and think about accountability, it will change the conversation, the relationship, the results, and the company! Common Pitfalls and Success Tips Pitfall 1: You continue to view accountability as consequences.
By now you should be clear that accountability is not the same as consequences. Continuing to treat accountability as consequences will prevent you from achieving your potential and severely limit those you work with. Write it on a sheet of paper and hang it on your wall: Accountability is not consequences; it’s ownership. Pitfall 2: You look outside yourself. Waiting for things beyond your control to change is another major pitfall. Whether it’s the economy, your company, your boss, or your spouse, waiting for something or someone to change is terribly unproductive and frustrating. Tip 1: Acknowledge reality. As Elizabeth Cady Stanton said: “Truth is the only safe ground to stand on.” Accountability deals in reality. When you take full ownership, there is no room for anything less than honest candor with yourself and with others. The situation is what it is. The only chance you have of improving it starts with acknowledging reality. Tip 2: Focus on what you can control. To be effective you will want to focus on the things that you can control. You don’t control the circumstances or others. The only things you control are your thinking and your actions. Spend your energy on the things you control. Work on keeping your thinking and your actions productive.