CORE VALUES: ACCOUNTABILITY

Core values in an individual or an organization cannot be given. They have to be cultivated and emanate from the individual(s). They are the framework that facilitates all outcomes. In other words, they are the system that all situations are fed through.

The second core value we will discuss is accountability. This value, although closely related, should not be confused for responsibility. We will discuss responsibility soon.

Accountability derives from the Latin word for pruning. We often think of horticulture when we hear pruning. Pruning is used to promote health in a plant by removing sick or ill placed branches. We will liken this to self-improvement. Later the the word evolved to mean to count or to reckon. So, for this value, we will define accountability as the ability to self-improve AND course-correct.

When pruning a fruit tree, the main goal is to facilitate healthy fruit bearing. That means clearing branches (sometimes healthy) to allow sunlight to reach the leaves and branches that will eventually bear the fruit.

The hallmark of accountability is to remove the things (sometimes healthy) that will diminish the desired outcome. That means, someone who is accountable knows what the end goal is. They objectively look at their resources and adjust to create the environment that will result in achieving their goal.

The accountable individual understands that they hold the pruning shears. They take the time to understand the seasons, climate all other factors that they cannot control. Then they focus their efforts on the things they can control. The accountable individual does not blame others for the lack of fruit, they make corrections and start pruning.