Tag Archives: openness
Choosing my crew carefully
As much as we would all love to be good at everything in life, success often depends on realising that we are not! When boat sailing my small cruising catamaran, I often take to the water with those who possess additional skills or knowledge that I am sorely deficient in. It’s not the main reason I take them with me, but it helps! My younger son, a marine engineer, has an ability to analyse a practical challenge, identify the problem and then fix it. And we’re both happy to laugh at my ability to defer the difficult jobs until he arrives. Mike, my crew for a weekend back in June, is retired and has a love of all things mechanical. Tom, an equally-experienced sailor, is a semi-retired engineer and possible part-time contortionist who can turn his hand to most things; …
Creating an accountable organisaton
A basic definition of accountability is how an individual or organisation justifies their actions to others and takes responsibility for the outcomes. It sounds like a heavy, negative thing, but accountability builds trust and cooperation within the workplace and with clients. It can also help to stop an error in its tracks before it snowballs into something much bigger. We’ve boiled it down to a few basics to help set you off in the right direction. Be consistent – Don’t treat one employee, colleague or boss differently from others. Leave biases at the office door when you walk in. If you want people to be transparent, they have to know that they are on an equal footing with everyone else. Be open – Be ready to explain how you reached a decision. This helps others to understand the impact of …
