motivation

Instilling Self-Accountability

What’s your definition of accountability?

We often think of it as something done by someone to another person. Even our language suggests that it’s a one-way street: “I’m going to hold you accountable for…”

I wrote a blog post on that topic in January 2024. In that piece, I commented on the pitfalls of believing it’s the leader’s responsibility to hold their people accountable. Instead, I proposed that accountability might be framed as a mutual set of responsibilities that are established by setting clear expectations & shared agreements up front. When agreements are broken (which is where accountability can get challenging), the parties explore and adjust without blame.

In my post, I wondered whether that notion might be too “pie in the sky” based on conversations with clients who manage significant performance issues.

Beyond the Obvious: The True Cause of Procrastination and How to Beat It

Procrastination. Even the word sounds unpleasant, like an itchy skin disease. Many of us are guilty of putting off a challenging task or project. In fact, I had “draft blog post on procrastination” on my to-do list for several days before I started working on it. Quite ironic, isn’t it?

While procrastinating once in a while is not something to be concerned about, habitual procrastination can have serious consequences. Research shows that this habit can result in anxiety, low self-esteem, and even physical illness. Plus, procrastination can create a vicious cycle leading to even more procrastination.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what procrastination is, what the root causes are, and what you can do to conquer procrastination once and for all.

Encouraging Reluctant Leaders

A reader sent me a question about reluctant leaders. That is, people who have expertise and experience to step up as leaders but who hesitate to do so.

He wrote, “I have two friends I believe should practice leadership but lack the courage or the energy for some reason. They are both in their fifties and at this point their profession needs them to share what they’ve learnt.”

He went on to describe leadership qualities he sees in each of them and some of the challenges in their professions that could use their leadership.

He concluded, “Any advice Deborah? Do you have a blurb in you to share about the reluctant leader?”

The 4 Best Ways to Get Your People Excited About Doing Their Job

Charlotte’s Conundrum

Charlotte dreads her upcoming meeting. She has to give performance feedback to James, one of her longtime employees. He’s frequently late on project deadlines; each time he has a different—and plausible—explanation. But there’s a pattern affecting his relationships with his co-workers and she has to deal with his behavior.