Accountability

Accountability

Today we are talking about accountability

Webster’s Dictionary (online) defines Accountability thusly: “the quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility”

In everything we need to be accountable. 

Scenario 1:  We are freelance computer application developers – our own boss – to whom are we accountable?  To whoever has hired us; to whoever is paying for our services; and ultimately we are accountable to ourselves and to God for who we are.

Scenario 2: We are the CEO’s of a company – to whom are we accountable?  We are accountable to our employees, customers, stockholders, to our neighbors (to be good neighbors in terms of noise, pollution, paying taxes, etc.), and again, to ourselves. 

Scenario 3: We are employees of a company – to whom are we accountable?  We are accountable to our bosses (and bosses’ bosses) to get our work done well, effectively and efficiently; to other employees (so they don’t have to do our jobs and clean up after us); to our customers; and likewise to our neighbors and ourselves.

How about self-accountability?   Can we look ourselves in the mirror at the end of the day and say “I put in a day’s worth of work today.  I accomplished my tasks and achieved all that was expected of me – and MORE”.  Or … at the end of the day, do we want to point fingers and assess blame?  “I would have gotten more done if <name> had done his work.”.  “I just wasn’t feeling up to getting my work done today” ; “I wasn’t motivated to get my work done”.

Aside, Christians have a concept that Jesus will say “Well done good and faithful servants” at the end of our lives. 

There have been times in my life when I wasn’t being accountable to others and to myself.  I was wasting time; I was thinking and doing things that maybe were not in my best interest and the best for society.  Those hours spent playing “Words with Friends” and doing computer games are gone.  Those hours with mindless television are also gone.

Accountability should also involve others.  If you are employed, you should have (at least) annual reviews – where your boss, board of directors, customers and other stakeholders give you feedback.  Even when I was a tenured professor, I always had my students do evaluations and urged them to include comments so I could improve classes.  Many times the comments first hurt a little (“You should go slower when introducing new topics” – or – “You went too slow at times and were boring”) – but I took the comments to heart and made the next time through the course better. 

As a professor, I had an annual review with my boss (either dean or department chair), I needed to review my previous year’s goals and how well I had achieved them and set out my goals for the upcoming year. Was I going to have higher student evaluations, was I going to have more publications, was I going to pursue publishing in higher-level journals, was I going to do more service.

Likewise at home, I need to be accountable to my spouse (in my case, my wife).  Did I spend my income on ‘wine, women and song’?  Am I giving her the attention and love she deserves?

Accountability might include a mentor or personal advisor.  Meet for coffee periodically.  I meet with former students – either electronically or in person (when I can) to ask how they are doing, where they are going, what their goals are, how they are going to reach their goals.  I’d like to think it is non-judgmental on my part – but causing them to reflect on their own goals and lives.

Corporations frequently seek feedback (which is a form of accountability).  Every time you go through McDonalds, the receipt asks the customer to give feedback (and get a coupon for a buy-one-get-one for a sandwich).  Many department stores ask for feedback.  Yelp and Tripadvisors ask you to evaluate restaurants and hotels.   I have had hotels reply to my comments and thank me for my evaluation and opinion!!!

Even in academic settings, students are accountable to their professors to do the work.  Excellence work that is over-and-above what is expected earns an “A”. 

Assignment: 

Who are you accountable to?  Do you have regular reporting to them?  Does your reporting match up against your goals and accomplishments?

If you haven’t done this, sit down and create a specific plan for the next week, next month and next year.  What specifics will you complete?  How should you be evaluated?