The April edition of the CCEI newsletter focuses on ways that leaders and team members can work to build a workplace culture in which all are included and valued. This requires that all members of the team contribute positively to that culture and take accountability for their contributions to the team environment.
Accountability refers to the act of taking responsibility for your actions and the impact that they have. Accountability is more than completing tasks on time and following procedures, which are both important. It is a willingness to take responsibility for one’s actions. It is also taking responsibility for how you show up for others. When we consider how many “others” there are in an early learning environment, the importance of accountability becomes clear.
Accountability is tough. Accountability requires self-awareness. It takes a measure of humility and a ton of honest self-reflection to recognize how your actions influence the environment in which you work.
Beth Strathman, from Firebrand Consulting, shares a few questions that you can ask yourself on a regular basis to build self-awareness and accountability.
- What did I do that worked/didn’t work? Why?
- What do my actions/reactions tell me about myself? What patterns do I see?
- What excuses did I make (in my head or out loud) for bad results or failures?
- What did I do that might be part of my typical behavioral patterns?
- Who do I want to be? How do I want to come across instead?
As a leader, it is vital that you model for others how to take accountability for your actions and contributions. Remember though, leadership does not require a title. Anyone who has someone following in their footsteps is a leader – How will you be a leader for accountability in your program?
