Crucial Accountability

Book summary

Joseph Grenny is an American author, speaker, and researcher known for his work in the field of leadership, communication, and personal development. He is one of the co-founders of VitalSmarts, a training and consulting company that focuses on improving workplace performance, leadership, and interpersonal skills.

How we approach people when they are held accountable greatly influences their response. We should acknowledge the variety of factors that may have led to an unfulfilled commitment or promise in order to refrain from vilifying others. This lets us engage in conversations with curiosity, respect, and a common goal. Thus, we can identify the reasons for unmet expectations, find solutions, and create plans to avoid similar issues in the future. Make sure people keep you updated. There are times when people fail to fulfill their commitments due to an urgent request that comes up. This can make it hard to keep the accountability conversation going. In the end, priorities can change at any time in our fast-paced world. However, even when priorities shift or emergencies occur, accountability and trust can still be maintained. In order to pivot expectations appropriately, ask people to inform you of any changes in circumstances as soon as possible.

“I have become more aware of (1) how true emotions can feel during crucial moments, and (2) how false they really are.”

“You can talk about results all you want, but they remain nothing more than ideas until you decide exactly how you’re going to measure them.”

“So, start every change project with a clear and compelling statement of the goal you’re trying to achieve. Measure your progress. Don’t leave it to intuition or hunches. Measure your measures by the behavior they influence. And finally, measure the right thing, and measure it frequently.”

To read rest of the book, you can download Bitely