The Science Behind Accountability by Regina Churman, Regional Vice President

Accountability in our personal lives seems so easy and necessary. We hold our children accountable for chores, we take our vitamins and medicine as necessary. So, why does it feel so challenging to hold ourselves accountable in professional environments? 

Turning goals into action 

Ever hear of the phenomenon “evaluation apprehension?” It’s the idea that people who tell their goals to someone they perceive as having a higher status than them achieve greater goal commitment and performance. And, according to a series of studies published by the Journal of Applied Psychology, it’s totally a thing. If you want to successfully bring a dream to reality, tell someone you respect. 

A study out of Dominican University set out to understand the most effective way to pursue and accomplish a goal and what they found was while having a goal and a plan and process for achieving that goal matters, it’s having someone hold you accountable that makes the difference. Meaning, the word accountability isn’t a path to corrective action or termination, but an opportunity for deeper connections and greater probability to reaching the goals you set.  

This is the foundational basis of our quarterly and annual reviews – a chance for candid dreaming and goal planning with leadership you respect and trust, and who can hold you accountable to achieving your goals. 

Turning action into results 

When you are leading a team, it’s critical to understand the way to encourage, and to hold each team member accountable. Be the trusted advisor to your team. Lead by example so the weekly meetings, quarterly conversations and annual reviews are collaborative, inspired, and productive. And when mapping out your goals, make them actionable and share them with leadership to invite them to collaborate with you, cheer you on, and hold you accountable. 

There will always be a time when we must ask for help. At RPM Living, I can guarantee you have a supportive group around that you can learn from. Struggling to understand why occupancy isn’t improving? Ask the person in your region or division who has the highest occupancy for suggestions. Do all your spoons end up under your child’s bed? Get to know the person you share office space with and see how they survived the teenage years.  Don’t be afraid to share your struggles; ask someone how they make progress. We all know someone who has made it work!   

At RPM, we’re proud to have some of the industry’s top leaders, and we’re excited to share their Leader POV with you on their areas of expertise and on hot topics in business to help you learn, grow and gain a fresh perspective. Read more on our blog.