HOW TO DEVELOP OUR ACCOUNTABILITY
- TRUST
- TIME MANAGEMENT
- PRIORITIZATION
- SMART GOALS
- TEAM BONDING
- ACTIONS & CHOICES
- RESPONSIBILITIES
- SELF ACCOUNTABILITY
TRUST:
A team without trust isn't really a team: it's just a group
of individuals, working together, often making disappointing
progress. They may not share information, they might battle over rights
and responsibilities, and they may not cooperate with one another. It doesn't
matter how capable or talented your people are, they may never reach their
full potential if trust isn't present.
TIME
MANAGEMENT:
“Time management” is the process of organizing and
planning how to divide your time between specific activities. Good time
management enables you to work smarter – not harder – so that you get
more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing
to manage your time damages your effectiveness and causes stress.
PRIORITIZATION:
HOW TO DEVELOP PRIORITIZATION:
- IDENTIFY AND COMMUNICATE
A CLEAR VISION :
Without exception, the number one theme is the importance
of having and communicating a clear vision – i.e., letting people
know why they are doing what they are doing. What is the outcome you
want? For example, in the case of a fire evacuation, the #1 priority is the
safety of the public and the responders. Similarly, staying alive is a fighter
pilot’s desired outcome.
2. ENGAGE IN ADVANCE PLANNING :
The experts could not over-emphasize the importance of
advance planning. Though “planning” takes on different meanings for the experts
depending on the specific contexts in which they operate, the concept is the
same. That is, there must be a strategy that is implemented according to the
plan you have developed. You must lay the appropriate groundwork, which in
addition to developing criteria and courses of action often includes building
readiness and improving capabilities.
Planning is especially important when there are multiple
organizations involved. Even in a single organization there must be
coordination among the various departments. Taking the time during the planning
process to identify and remove or minimize obstacles enables people to see the
end result more clearly and provides immediate forward momentum.
3. BUILD FLEXIBILITY INTO YOUR PLANS AND PROCESSES :
Having emphasized the importance of advance planning, the
experts agree that the plans allow for flexibility. As one first responder
said, although her agency develops strategies for specific emergencies in the
form of natural or man-made disasters around the world, they rely heavily on
“situational agility” to adapt to each unique incident. That is, the experts
know that despite their best efforts at contingency planning, each situation
will include unexpected elements that will demand on-the-spot decisions.
Another reason why flexibility is important is that
priorities are likely to change over time. As a result, you must recognize and
plan for that inevitability. When one process doesn’t work effectively, you
must be able to acknowledge its shortcomings and try something else. When
priorities do change, go back to the vision (Theme #1) to re-set them.
4. DEVELOP TRUSTING WORK
RELATIONSHIPS :
Relationships are critical, both within the organization
and outside. Especially in emergency situations, one first responder
appreciates the fact that when she calls another agency for support, the person
at the other end is someone with whom she has an established rapport. There is
a huge return on the time you invest in getting to know the people you are
working with and/or leading.
5. REQUIRE LEADERS TO SET
THE EXAMPLE THEY WANT OTHERS TO FOLLOW :
Leadership is key. People look to their leaders in time
of crisis or chaos and expect them to show the way with courage and conviction.
Leaders all need to be on the same page about where they are going and why.
During the planning stage, it is incumbent upon the leaders to ensure they have
the right people in place to set, align, and implement organizational
priorities.
6. ENSURE THE COMMITMENT
OF EVERY PERSON INVOLVED :
Every person in the organization must be involved and
committed to achieving the designated priorities. To the extent possible, have
everyone participate in setting the goals and plan of action. When you do that,
implementation is much easier because people “own” the priorities.
7. COMMUNICATE CLEARLY AND
FREQUENTLY:
Communication must be clear, frequent, and pervasive
throughout all levels of the organization. Continuous feedback is mandatory.
Every individual must be clear about his/her role. Having a common language or
vocabulary helps to ensure that there is no doubt about the meaning of the
information being conveyed.
SMART
GOALS:
SMART is an acronym that has been credited to both Peter
Drucker (1955) and G.T.Doran (1991), though it is difficult to identify whether
either of these two were really the first people to use the term ‘SMART’ with
reference to objectives. The term SMART is now in common usage among managers
who use SMART to set objectives within appraisal and performance management
systems.
SPECIFIC –
outline in a clear statement precisely what is required.
MEASURABLE –
include a measure to enable you to monitor progress and
to know when the objective has been achieved.
ACHIEVABLE –
objectives can be designed to be challenging, but it is
important that failure is not built into objectives. Employees and managers
should agree to the objectives to ensure commitment to them.
REALISTIC –
focus on outcomes rather than the means of achieving
them.
TIMELY - (OR TIME-BOUND) –
agree the date by which the outcome must be achieved.
TEAM
BONDING:
Any group of people organized to work together or
interdependently in order to cooperatively meet the needs of their customers by
accomplishing a purpose or goal.
WHY DO COMPANIES USE TEAMS?
- Satisfies the human
social need to belong
- Two heads are better
than one
- The whole can be
greater than the sum of its parts
- Team members build
trust and want to help each other
- Promotes better
communication
- Multiplies the
potential of individual members
- Produces positive peer
pressure
HOW TO BUILD TEAM?
CHOICES
& ACTIONS:
“There is a choice you have to make in everything you do.
So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make makes you.”
~ Anonymous
HOW TO BE AWARE OF YOUR CHOICES:
When you wake up each day
understand that you, not others are in control of your choices. Choose to make
the best choices that will enhance your life and those around you.
• Be in the present moment when
you make a choice.
• Understand the implications of
the choice and your alternatives.
• What are your emotions at this
moment of choosing? Are they playing a role in your decision making?
• Be aware of and honor your own
personal values.
• Be aware of where you want to
be in life, both short term and long term. Then make choices that will take you
there.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
“Where globalization means, as it so often does, that the
rich and powerful now have new means to further enrich and empower themselves
at the cost of the poorer and weaker, we have a responsibility to protest in
the name of universal freedom.”
Nelson Mandela
TYPES OF RESPONSIBILITIES:
PERSONAL
We often believe that we are personally responsible for
things, not because it is the law but because it is very personal to us or our
friends and family.
LEGAL
Some responsibilities are upheld by law. It is against
the law not to take responsibility in some cases. There are different types of
legal responsibility. Some laws only apply in this country and others are
international.
MORAL
Sometimes we feel responsible for people or things
because we believe it is the right thing to do. We feel that we are morally
responsible because to ignore it would be wrong.
SOCIAL
These are responsibilities that society has towards
everyone. They are not the responsibilities of individuals but ones we share as
a society.
WORK PLACE
For a workplace to function, both employees and employers
must live up to their responsibilities. While some of these responsibilities
are formal and easy to understand or enforce, others are more difficult to
conceive and enact. By understanding workplace responsibilities and working to
meet them in all areas, a workforce can keep its members safe and productive.
Sanjida
Islam Ivy
Jr.
Software Engineer
Process Improvement
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