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Trevor Manning Consultancy
Achieving  Business results 
through Real-World Training 
and Leadership Development

Accountability - It is all my fault!

5/19/2014

2 Comments

 
Unexpected events and accidents happen every day. Machinery breaks down, car accidents occur, unexpected weather events happen or stock markets fall, despite forecasts that may have predicted a rise. Life is not as predictable as we like to think. On the other hand, knowing that life is unpredictable means we can, to a certain extent, plan for it. We can make an assumption that an unlikely event is possible and make contingency plans that include the unpredictable.

In business, we demand that managers are accountable. Some people think this is all about who is to blame. But is it? The Oxford English dictionary suggests being accountable is being expected to justify actions or decisions.  

Accountability is really an attitude where you are holding yourself account to outcomes. It is a mindset, that whatever has happened - whether it is your fault or not – it has something to do with you and you are committed to finding solutions to solve it. It is the opposite of the attitude “not my problem.” Responsibility is about ownership. Responsibility is something an organisation defines that specifies your boundaries of ownership.  

Accountability is broader than responsibility as it is about your mindset that takes ownership for an overall result, even if it lies outside your defined set of responsibilities. Someone who feels accountable to the company will help with any customer problem in the interests of the overall company outcome, whether or not it is within their defined set of responsibilities. Accountability is an attitude that says “it is not my fault, and I am not to blame, but I am here to help fix it”
2 Comments
Harmit
5/21/2014 04:07:31 pm

in the nutshell, it is the accountability that gives birth to responsibility?

If yes, then that means if I am accountable for something, I am responsible as well.

Reply
Trevor
5/26/2014 04:23:29 am

Harmit,
Thanks for your comment. I am suggesting they have two separate meanings. Responsibility is given to you - delegated by your boss, and it has limits. Accountability is an attitude of ownership, that goes broader than what you are directly responsible for. I agree they go hand in hand and maybe it is semantics. You need both. Good debate!

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    TMC Global has been established to provide real-world training and consultancy in wireless technology and technical management. 

    Its founder, Trevor Manning is passionate about people development and has developed training courses and business offerings that combine theory and practice to make a real difference in the workplace. 


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