Accountability is one of those interesting concepts that most everyone thinks they need but just as many avoid. We know we need it, but we go to great lengths to avoid it as well. And, even as I work with people in developing cultures of accountability, one strange component of this dialogue is how everyone seems to define "accountability" differently. For some, accountability is a harsh reminder of things we are not doing, and for others, it is a gentle reminder of key areas of strength. The very last thing I want to do is pretend that I have some all-inclusive, definitive answer for what accountability is. I don't -- or, at least, not one that I could do justice in a short blog. What I do want to point out is that Rewiring our minds means that we think about how we think. So, all I can do today is offer you a suggestion to think about what it is you actually think of accountability. Why do you think that? Is your definition of accountability congruent with the actions you take in life?
I am bringing this up because it’s a poignant example of how what we feel about a particular topic will mandate how we act. Increasing our emotional intelligence is a key way to grow in our lives. For the record, accountability is a good thing (usually) and we are fans of it at Rewire. But more important than the actual acceptance (or denial, as it were) of a concept accountability is that we would at least have the courage to examine what it is we actually think about it.
Cheers to a great week ahead. Keep thinking about how you think.