Power Tool: Commitment and Accountability

Being Accountable + Being responsible = trustworthy person.

Each time we hold ourselves accountable, we feel empowered and satisfied with our achievements, aware of our potentials, confident, strong, and in harmony with what we say and we do. Accountability also gives us a clear direction and helps us become true to ourselves.

Avoiding accountability is like handing all our power to someone else, letting that person control our life, our opportunities, our decision and our journey. You will be hiding without direction, without vision and even without purpose.

Accountability and Commitment are two pillars for change and moving forward.

Self-Application:

I first wanted to become an international speaker/ trainer. I bumped into ICA (International Coach Academy). At that time, I didn’t know what coaching is and I didn’t even do my homework in finding and researching. I just got two different suggestions from my husband’s friend. I took it very lightly and had a shallow surf on the academy website. This is one good example of not having the choice and letting others decide on your behalf (not being accountable).

I attended the introductory teleclass where I got to know a tip of the iceberg of what the coaching profession is. Even though I paid my first tuition in August (to benefit from a 5% discount), I kept procrastinating and never attended a class before October. This is another example of being not truly committed to what I really wanted.

I started my classes and made sure to attend every single class I had on my schedule even if that meant giving up on some quality time. Since then, I never missed a class for whatsoever reason. I started to be active on the forum and finished one assignment after the other. This shift happened when I promised myself (and became committed) that I should finish my program as soon as I can before delivering my first baby. Keeping this promise, holding myself accountable, being in action and committing to hard work made me realize my potentials. I feel empowered, confident, and true to myself. Most importantly, I feel that I gained back my self- trust and accountability.

Coaching Application:

As human beings, we tend to over-promise ourselves of achieving some task and we fail in keeping our promises. This is one main common denominator of all human beings even the ones that consider themselves committed and accountable. This tool can be used in many different situations, revealing different aspects of life and reaching the core values in our subconscious mind.

We often face situations that are common to each one of us whether in our personal, academic and/or professional life.

For example:

1. We all have suffered from not fulfilling our promises in our childhood.
2. We keep on postponing starting our diet or going to the gym.
3. We avoid finishing our daily tasks as long as we can do them on another day
4. We choose to be in the work group of a nerdy student while doing our research paper or any other challenging university duty, because we depend on that person and we don’t take accountability of our work.
5. We tend to give the lead to other people to feel less weight on our shoulders.

All of these recurring events engrave non-supporting values. What will be done to shift the clients’ perspective and to empower them to be committed and accountable? It will require a dive into their values and beliefs. How? I will share some different tools based on the client needs.

1. Listen to the words and statements of the clients: the clients’ language will give us a great insight about their beliefs
2. Help them to create a time plan for the intended action
3. Visualize the action step accomplished

Ex: if the action is done how do you feel? What does it look like?

1. Help the client identify supporting tools/ person

Ex: write a blog on the desired task and hang it/ save it to be visible often.

1. Challenge their perspectives by mirroring back what they are saying and not saying ex: I heard you saying you don’t want to do that
2. Use a time line drawing a life line from the past to the present

Ex: recall the past and elaborate more about success and commitment.

1. Use NLP tools that I call conditional reflex. Identify the image or representation that anchor the feeling of accountability and commitment.
2. Step back and look for your life, comparing two clients personas one who is able to commit and accomplish and the other one who is stuck in the present situation.
3. Ask powerful questions such as:

• What is in your way?
• Where in your body do you feel it when you are accountable/not   accountable?
• How do you feel if you are committed and accountable?
• If you had the choice to change something in your current situation, what could it be?
• What are the actions that you intend to take?
• Are you ready to make a commitment to this goal?
• Would you like me to hold you accountable for that goal?
• What structures and supports can help you in holding yourself accountable?
• How do you know when you are committed?
• What impacts the strength of your commitment?
• How can you deal with it?

Reflection Questions:

1. What is the first thing that came to your mind while reading this power tool?
2. How do you define commitment? And how does it resonate with you?
3. What is accountability to you? And how do you identify yourself with it?
4. What are some structures that help your commitment and accountability?
5. What are the things that you are accountable for?
6. What is the priority list that you put for your commitment?
7. Are there any situations that you commit to failure instead of success?
8. What is your first action when you feel that you are drifting from being committed and accountable?