Personal Accountability

I just finished reading John G. Miller's book QBQ! The Question Behind the Question. Everyone should read this book and everyone should start applying it to their daily lives. When you read the book you will understand why that sentence is so funny.

Mr. Miller teaches us about personal accountability. He explains how the questions we ask ourselves cause us to blame, complain and procrastinate OR, if we are asking QBQ's, they help us practice life-transforming personal accountability.

On page eighteen he gives us three simple guidelines for creating a QBQ that I must share now so you can begin:

1. Begin [your question] with "What" or "How" (not "Why," "When," or "Who").
2. Contain an "I" (not "they," "them," "we," or "you").
3. Focus on action.

Lets relate this to your organization needs... You may be asking yourself, "Why can't he/she ever put things back?" Instead of that question, which places blame, you could ask yourself a QBQ like, "What can I do to better understand why it is so hard for him/her to put things back?"

Here is another example... You may have said, "Why am I such a loser? I can't even get this little project accomplished." That places blame on yourself and doesn't accomplish a thing! Instead try the QBQ method and ask this, "How can I break this project down and schedule a small amount each day?" This would be transforming! You would have an immediate focus, breaking the project down, and small goals, scheduled small steps each day, to accomplish the project.

Practicing QBQ trains your thoughts and narrows your path toward accomplishment and accountability...truly life transforming!

I will close this by asking myself, "What can I read next to make me an expert in the organizing field?" Hmmm... Organized for Success - Top Executives and CEOs Reveal the Organizing Principles That Helped Them Reach the Top by Stephanie Winston.