Saturday, June 21, 2014

I’ve frequently read that an overnight success is really 20 years in the making. In The Straight-A Guide that we teach at The Michael G. Santos Foundation, I talk about the importance of taking incremental action steps. The next step of our Straight-A Guide requires individuals to hold themselves accountable. Those who apply to join the Straight-A Guide Team that I’m putting together should not have any problems elaborating their own accountability logs.

To prompt candidates advancing through the pre-application I designed, I wrote the following essay:

Section 6: Accountability

At Global Property Alliance we choose not to waste resources on unnecessary layers of management. Those who join our team know how to hold themselves accountable. They are self-motivated, self-disciplined, self-managed, and obsessively driven to succeed. They know precisely how to establish their own metrics for success and never doubt the value their contributions make to the enterprise. Every hour of every day, A-players know where they stand. Their self-designed accountability metrics ensure that they’re always using time and resources effectively.

Those on our team articulate values that define their life. Then they set clear goals with established timelines. To ensure that they’re succeeding in accordance with their own metrics, they design accountability logs. This self-directed process of continuously defining success and measuring progress separates A-players from the dim bulbs that are constantly in need of reassurance. Accountability logs keep A-players moving forward, empowering them to know where they stand at all times. Their accountability logs fortify their confidence, as they always know whether they’re contributing to the success of the team or bringing forth a negative energy that brings others down.

Our pre-application process provides insight into the culture of our organization. It’s a culture of high performance with exceptional rewards. People define our culture. Those who build careers at Global Property Alliance strive to reach their highest personal potential and continuously look to create value, to open new opportunities. They keep their head in the game at all times, never hiding in bubbles of comfort.

The A-players who join our team constantly compete against the people they were yesterday. They know how their daily decisions make them better tomorrow. Their personal accountability logs negate the need for handholding or babysitting that exists in mediocre organizations. Instead, our A-players empower themselves by continuously moving forward in positive, measurable ways.

Accountability logs keep our A-players from living like ostriches. They know that winners don’t bury their head in the sand to avoid life’s inconvenient truths. Knowing that unaddressed problems multiply, those on our team use their accountability metrics to stay on track. They welcome constructive conflict that results in restorative actions and new levels of confidence. Rather than being beaten down by disappointments, A-players on our team use their accountability logs as tools. They use them to search for truths about incremental contributions they’re making to build a greater, more valuable enterprise.

Question for candidates:

Describe how you hold yourself accountable for personal development.

(Please insert your response here and return as a part of your completed pre-application.)

 

Days since my release from prison: 313

Miles that I ran today: 0

Miles that I ran so far this week: 42.61

Miles that I’ve run during the month of June: 143.77

Miles that I ran so far in 2014: 1,277.54

Miles that I need to run in order to reach my annual goal of 2,400 miles: 1,122.46

Miles I’m ahead of schedule to reach my 2,400-mile goal by the end of 2014: 140.93

My weight for today: 166