WHO IS HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE IN 2024?

“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody”- Thomas Paine

There is one thing you must never outgrow in life and that is accountability. A leader that is beyond accountability will self-destruct himself/herself. Great people see accountability as checks and not as effrontery. Your ultimate success in 2024 and the years ahead will depend heavily on the accountability system that you have in place. If there is one thing you must ensure you have this year, it is an Accountability Partner.

Accountability is being honest with everyone, including yourself! In 2024, you must develop a chronic reputation for being accountable. Someone who is accountable is completely responsible for what they do and must be able to give a satisfactory reason for it. In a rapidly changing world, accountability becomes crucial for self-evaluation. Accountability ensures transparency, responsibility, and also enhances personal growth.

You need someone to help you take a dream, develop it into goals, work out a strategy and execute a plan. In the absence of this, you run the risk of going through the remaining months of this year getting nothing but the same results of past years. There should be someone in your circle of influence that you can confide in about your goals and enlist help from—preferably someone who has already achieved what you are aiming to do. Before you find someone to be accountable to, you need to start by developing a culture of personal accountability by taking ownership of situations that you are involved in.

Before you can choose a good accountability partner, you have to know what accountability is all about. Management consultant Todd Herman defined personal accountability as "being willing to answer for the outcomes resulting from your choices, behaviours, and actions." Accountability is the ability and willingness to give an account to someone else of your actions and motives. An accountability partner is a person who coaches another to help them keep a commitment.

Socrates once said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” We need to continuously re-evaluate ourselves through unbiased lens. Most times, we spend much time apportioning blames to others when all we need is inward/self-assessments.

Learning how to hold yourself accountable is no easy task. It demands effort and the right mindset to admit to mistakes while avoiding the urge to blame others. Though being accountable can be a daunting task but the ultimate benefits are quite rewarding. These are:

#1 Personal Growth and Development: Being accountable means taking responsibility for your actions, decisions, and behaviours. It allows you to reflect on your choices, learn from your mistakes, and make improvements. This self-awareness and growth contribute to personal development and success. Being accountable for your actions supports personal development by welcoming the changes that accompany growth, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you. Resisting to adapt to new circumstances or opportunities seems like the easy option, but accountability will help you find better ways forward in the future.

#2 Maturity: It takes maturity to be accountable. Accountability means taking responsibility for your actions and behaviours without blaming others. It means you’re fulfilling your obligations, tasks, and goals without excuses. And, if an unexpected challenge comes your way, being accountable means you can focus on a solution without pointing fingers.

#3 Trust and Reliability: When you tell the truth to yourself and others, they will depend on you for honest opinions, assessment, and advice. While telling the truth can be challenging when you’ve made a mistake, taking personal responsibility builds integrity and often reduces consequences. When people hide from, blame, or ignore a problem, it doesn’t go away, and usually becomes even worse. When you are accountable, others can trust you to follow through on your commitments and promises. It builds a reputation of reliability and integrity, which is essential for healthy relationships, both personal and professional. When you show that you are trustworthy, dependable, and willing to take ownership even when things fail, you become someone senior colleagues can depend on and will earn leadership opportunities.

#4 Goal Achievement: Goal-setting forces you to own what you set out to do. Accountability helps you stay focused and committed to your goals. By holding yourself accountable, you are more likely to take the necessary steps, stay motivated, and overcome obstacles to achieve your objectives.

#5 Effective Communication: Being accountable involves open and honest communication. It allows you to express your thoughts, concerns, and needs, while also actively listening to others. This fosters better understanding, collaboration, and problem-solving in various aspects of life.

#6 Professional Success: Accountability may help increase trust in the workplace, particularly employees trusting their leaders. Being accountable means owning your own actions rather than placing the blame on others, especially if plans did not achieve the desired results. In the workplace, accountability is highly valued. It demonstrates professionalism, reliability, and a commitment to excellence. Being accountable for your work and actions can lead to increased opportunities, promotions, and a positive reputation among colleagues and superiors.

#7 Building Trust in Relationships: Accountability is crucial for building and maintaining trust in relationships. When you take responsibility for your actions, apologize when necessary, and make amends, it shows that you value the relationship and the feelings of others. This fosters trust, respect, and deeper connections.

#8 Ethical Behaviour: Being accountable means adhering to ethical standards and principles. It ensures that you act with integrity, honesty, and fairness in your interactions with others. This contributes to a more just and ethical society as a whole.

#9 Performance: Accountability improves performance. When a person holds himself accountable and uses criticism positively, their performance sees a clear incline. This is beneficial for all the stakeholders and is yet another reason why recruiters prefer people who demonstrate a developed sense of accountability.

#10 Helps Measure Progress: Accountability is an ability through which a person measures their individual capabilities. It’s like scrutinising yourself. When you hold yourself accountable in every aspect of life, measuring your success and progress is extremely easy. It shows you how far you have come since starting out.

Any self-improvement journey is more challenging alone, so finding an accountability partner is not just necessary but mandatory to living a fruitful and impactful life. Your accountability partner could be a family member, a friend, a colleague at work or a mentor who would hold you accountable and give you the necessary support. Your accountability buddy is someone with who you can vent, discuss big goals, and exchange positive affirmations. Just make sure you’re comfortable confiding in them.

Overall, being accountable is essential for personal growth, trust-building, goal achievement, effective communication, professional success, and ethical behaviour. It empowers individuals to take control of their lives, make positive changes, and contribute to a better world.

As you go into the New Year, you need to find a purpose partner to keep you accountable. You should choose someone you can trust to keep your Accountability Reports and conversations confidential. Tell your purpose partner what you intend to do so you can be accountable. Allow them to ask you about your progress and be careful to give straight forward answers—with no excuses. You will become personally accountable for your success. Personal responsibility will shift your perspective and empower you to eradicate the excuses that may be holding you down. Whether it is work place accountability, relationship accountability, spiritual accountability or financial accountability, you must not only be accountable, you must also be willing to make necessary changes towards your destination.

“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable”- Moliere

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