Introduction: What ever happened to ... -- A picture of personal accountability -- Making better choices -- QBQ! The question behind the question -- Don't ask "why?" -- The victim -- "Why is this happening to me?" -- "Why do we have to go through all this change?" -- "Why don't they communicate better?" -- Don't ask "when?" -- Procrastination: The friend of failure -- "When will we get more tools and better systems?" -- "When are we going to hear something new?" -- Don't ask "who?" -- A poor sailor blames the wind -- Silos -- Beat the ref -- "Who dropped the ball?" -- Ownership -- The foundation of teamwork -- Making accountability personal: All QBQs contain an "I" -- I can only change me -- "He didn't, I did" -- "When will others walk their talk?" -- An integrity test -- The power of one -- A QBQ twist -- Will the real role models please stand up! -- Practicing personal accountability: All QBQs focus on action -- The risk of doing nothing -- "Thanks for shopping at the Home Depot!" -- Leaders at all levels -- The cornerstone of leadership -- Leaders are not problem solvers -- A great list of lousy questions -- The spirit of the QBQ -- Wisdom -- We buy too many books -- A final picture -- The motor of learning.
Summary:
Addresses the most important issue in business and society today: personal accountability. Lack of personal accountability has resulted in an epidemic of blame, complaining, and procrastination. No organization -- or individual -- can achieve goals, compete in the marketplace, fulfill a vision, or develop people and teams without personal accountability. The solution involves an entirely new approach. We can no longer ask, "Who dropped the ball?" "Why can't they do their work properly?" or "Why do we have to go through all these changes?" Instead, every individual has to ask the question behind the question: "How can I improve this situation?" "What can I contribute?" or "How can I make a difference?"
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.