How clear are our "accountabilities?" If something should fail, is there someone who is accountable? Often organizations, systems of government, and families fail because of a lack of accountability. We hear, "It's not my fault, it's your fault" or "It's everybody's fault" or "Isn't that your job?"
This post is not about pointing fingers, but about taking responsibility. At home, we have to know who is accountable why the money is not managed well. At work, someone should be accountable why sales are down. In an organization, someone has to be answerable why the membership is dwindling.
Here's a story that I read in my grade school days that very much relates to this topic:
WHO DID IT?
There is a story about four people. Their names are EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, and NOBODY. The story goes that there was a very important job that needed to be done. EVERYBODY was asked to do this job. Now ANYBODY could have done this job but NOBODY was willing to do it. Then SOMEBODY got angry about this because it was EVERYBODY'S job to do. Well, EVERYBODY thought that ANYBODY could have done it! But NOBODY realized that EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY for not doing the job. Still NOBODY did it. The arguing got worse and finally NOBODY would talk to ANYBODY and EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY. What a shame that ANYBODY could have done the job and EVERYBODY could have helped SOMEBODY but yet NOBODY did it!
If there is something you know must be done, don't wait for ANYBODY else to do it or hope that SOMEBODY else will do it because NOBODY else will do it unless you show EVERYBODY else how to do it.
A lack of accountability can be addressed through:
1. Good communication
Having clear expectations resolves a lot of future problems. Knowing what is expected of us makes us accountable. Writing what you agreed on paper helps in expectation setting.
2. Leadership initiative
Once we know our responsibilities, our initiatives as a leader will pave the way for strategies that will address a concern. Without leadership we will just be waiting on someone else to do it for us, when we clearly know it is our responsibility. You may get away with the responsibility, but you will also lose relevance.
3. Sincerity
At the heart of accountability is our sincerity to accomplish our commitments. If you are sincere, you will take it upon yourself to be accountable for the environment, our country, our society, and family. Our sincerity is rooted from a genuine care for what we are doing. Those who waste 'office time' are not sincere enough and often make excuses.
From the very start God was clear on accountability. Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth (Gen 1:26). Webster defines dominion as supreme authority. Therefore, someone who has dominion or supreme authority over something is accountable, regardless of how big or small it is.
Often the word accountable is associated with being liable to an accident or something that went wrong that cost some money or damage. It is often taken negatively. But let us take a second look on accountability. The posture of being accountable will push us to have integrity, to achieve more, and to serve others more. Let us remember that we are accountable to God. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable (Hebrews 4:13). Let us give our best for Him for he has entrusted us to spread His Word throughout the world.
This post is not about pointing fingers, but about taking responsibility. At home, we have to know who is accountable why the money is not managed well. At work, someone should be accountable why sales are down. In an organization, someone has to be answerable why the membership is dwindling.
Here's a story that I read in my grade school days that very much relates to this topic:
WHO DID IT?
There is a story about four people. Their names are EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, and NOBODY. The story goes that there was a very important job that needed to be done. EVERYBODY was asked to do this job. Now ANYBODY could have done this job but NOBODY was willing to do it. Then SOMEBODY got angry about this because it was EVERYBODY'S job to do. Well, EVERYBODY thought that ANYBODY could have done it! But NOBODY realized that EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY for not doing the job. Still NOBODY did it. The arguing got worse and finally NOBODY would talk to ANYBODY and EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY. What a shame that ANYBODY could have done the job and EVERYBODY could have helped SOMEBODY but yet NOBODY did it!
If there is something you know must be done, don't wait for ANYBODY else to do it or hope that SOMEBODY else will do it because NOBODY else will do it unless you show EVERYBODY else how to do it.
A lack of accountability can be addressed through:
1. Good communication
Having clear expectations resolves a lot of future problems. Knowing what is expected of us makes us accountable. Writing what you agreed on paper helps in expectation setting.
2. Leadership initiative
Once we know our responsibilities, our initiatives as a leader will pave the way for strategies that will address a concern. Without leadership we will just be waiting on someone else to do it for us, when we clearly know it is our responsibility. You may get away with the responsibility, but you will also lose relevance.
3. Sincerity
At the heart of accountability is our sincerity to accomplish our commitments. If you are sincere, you will take it upon yourself to be accountable for the environment, our country, our society, and family. Our sincerity is rooted from a genuine care for what we are doing. Those who waste 'office time' are not sincere enough and often make excuses.
From the very start God was clear on accountability. Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth (Gen 1:26). Webster defines dominion as supreme authority. Therefore, someone who has dominion or supreme authority over something is accountable, regardless of how big or small it is.
Often the word accountable is associated with being liable to an accident or something that went wrong that cost some money or damage. It is often taken negatively. But let us take a second look on accountability. The posture of being accountable will push us to have integrity, to achieve more, and to serve others more. Let us remember that we are accountable to God. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable (Hebrews 4:13). Let us give our best for Him for he has entrusted us to spread His Word throughout the world.
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