How Do Integrity, Accountability, and Service Fit In? 3 Part Series
Part 2: The Key… Accountability
How often today do you hear someone say, ‘I’m sorry? It was my fault. I am totally responsible!’? Rarely is such simple honesty heard anymore. In fact, in many cases, even when a fault is admitted, every effort is made to shift the blame onto someone else, or onto extenuating circumstances over which the wrongdoer claims he had no control.
Some even point an accusing finger at their genes! But is this plausible? The book “Exploding the Gene Myth” questions the aims, and effectiveness of some aspects of gene research. Australian journalist Bill Deane, in his review of the book, draws this thoughtful conclusion: “Social determinists seem recently to have begun to believe they have found almost infallible evidence to support their philosophy that nobody should be held accountable for their actions: ‘He couldn’t help cutting her throat, Your Honor—it’s in his genes.’”
Now, we are beginning to witness behavior without accountability that is legally, and socially sanctioned. We live in an age of increased rights, and diminishing responsibilities of the individual.
Consider this:
Team coaching can be successfully implemented during a daily telephone conference call in which each team member is held accountable for the results they say they will produce that day. Each member of the team comes to the conference call with a result he or she will accomplish that day. They get coached in ways to achieve their respective goals, and return the next day for check-in, and feedback on what happened the prior day.
ACCOUNTABILITY —living your life purpose, and honoring your values — demands that you become aware of the web of interpretations that has formed your personal reality, and participation in life. Becoming aware of this schematic, or your paradigm, opens up a myriad of possibilities to which you were previously blind. This is a reflection of society’s eagerness to shift blame onto anything or anyone except the individual.
