• Create Physically and Be Accountable

    • Create Physically and Be Accountable

    Objectives

    • What can I do to implement (or create physically) my plans effectively?
    • How can hold myself and others accountable?

    Create Physically and Be Accountable

    “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,...” 

    James 1:22

    The next step of the pattern is to create physically or implement the plan, strategy, or mission. Accomplishing the work and getting things done can be challenging for a leader.

    What can I do to implement (or create physically) my plans effectively?

    Implementing your plan or creating physically is accomplishing the work.  By accomplishing the work, you are getting results and bringing meaningful change as a disciple-leaders. General George Patton says, "A good plan, violently executed today, is better than a perfect plan next week."  As a leader, sometimes we need not allow overplanning and overanalysis to create paralysis in taking action.

    Read the following article and video and reflect on the following questions:

    As a leader, what barriers prevent you from delegating?

    How are Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose far better motivators than "Carrots and Sticks"?

    Example of Christ: Parable of the Good Samaritan

    Watch “Parable of the Good Samaritan” or READ Luke 10:25-37, then consider the following questions:

      • In telling this timeless parable, why does Christ first emphasize that both a priest and a Levite passed by the wounded man? Who are people in today’s world who you might be tempted to “pass by?” 
      • It probably was not convenient nor uncostly for the Samaritan to use his oil, wine, and time to bind up victim’s wounds, take him to an inn, stay with him through the night, leave additional funds for his care, and promise to pay whatever more was spent to restore the victim’s health. What does this example teach you about the excuses we often make when we are invited to help a person in need?
      • Jesus invitation to the lawyer to “Go, and do thou likewise,” is an invitation to all of us. How we make sure we take action and physically do something?

    As you read The 7 Habits this week, you will learn how to motivate people to get things accomplished by creating Win/Win situations and by listening to others. 

    Habit 4: Think Win/Win

    Watch and read the following from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

    1. Watch the video, Think Win/Win.

    1. Read the beginning of Habit 4: Think Win/Win (Pages 173-190).
      • Take notes as you read.

    1.  Watch the video, Green and Clean:

    (4:50 mins, "Green and Clean" Transcript)

    1. Finish reading the "Habit 4: Think Win/Win" chapter starting with, Win/Win Agreement heading (pages 190-195).
      • As you read, think about the win/win agreement that Covey made with his son from the "Green and Clean" video.

    Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

    1. Watch this video, "Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood."

    (04:28 mins, "Seek first to understand" Transcipt)

    1. Read the Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (pages 196-214)
      • Remember to take notes as you read.
    2. You will apply these concepts in future assignments.

      Habit 4

      Principle: Effective, long-term relationships require mutual respect and mutual benefit. 

      Ineffective Paradigm: There is only so much, and the more you get, the less there is for me.

      Effective Paradigm: There is prenty out there for everyone and more to spare.

      "What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?” -George Eliot

      “Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be unto you; and if you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation.” - Doctrine and Covenants 6:8

      Habit 5

      Principle: To communicate effectively with me, you must first understand me.  

      Ineffective Paradigm:   I listen with the intent to reply.

      Effective Paradigm: I listen with the intent to understand.

      "Listen, or your tongue will make you deaf."

      -Native American Proverb

      "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it minister grace unto the hearers"

      - Ephesians 4:29

      How can Hold Myself and Others Accountable?

      Accountability and 'return and report' can be seen throughout the scriptures.  

      The principles of accountability should be regularly applied to yourself and others.  It can help you "see" as a leader what is really going on in your workplace, home, church, or community.

      Creating a Feedback Culture

      Foster a culture of offering and receiving feedback. Feedback creates accountability. In the book, The Oz Principle, Connors et al. (2004) state,

      "You can gain great insight from frequent, regular, and ongoing feedback from other people. Although it can cause a great deal of pain and embarrassment at times, honest input helps create the accurate picture of reality that lies at the core of accountability" (p. 81).

      With any project, you need people to be accountable for their assigned tasks. With this loop of giving and receiving feedback, you, as the manager, can see the status of each part of the project. When you see epic failures with projects, many times, the lack of feedback is the underlying reason for it.

      Our Heavenly Father, at every stage of the creation of the earth, gave his feedback that "it was good." (Genesis 1:4)

      The 4 Disciplines of Execution

      A popular book about getting results through high-performance culture is called, The 4 Disciplines of Execution.  Watch the following video about the 4 Disciplines of Execution :

      Review the following pages and watch the video on each page:

      Disciple 1: Focus on the Wildly Important

      Discipline 2: Act on the Lead Measures

      Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

      Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability

      Although The 4 Disciplines of Execution is not required in this course, you can read it online through the library.

      Mini-Case: Bret Mitchell - The Enthusiastic Failing Team Part 1

      Bret Mitchell, Head of Product and Merchandising for a growing online company, was asked to create a new product for the company in a completely new space outside the company’s current core competency. The company’s leadership and employees were all excited about the new project. After the first all-hands meeting to launch the project, Bret perceived that, despite their enthusiasm, the project management team assigned to the project lacked the skills to achieve the level of quality Bret was hoping for.

      Despite his concerns, Bret made assignments based on the assumption that the team had the ability to perform according to his expectations. At their next check-in, as Bret had expected, the team’s performance was sub-par. Bret thought clearly articulating the standard of performance needed would boost the team’s performance, so he explained where their work fell short, clearly described the level of performance required, and gave the team a new deadline. The team remained enthusiastic, working late hours for weeks to meet expectations. However, at the next check in, their performance was not adequate. Meanwhile, the entire project was faltering for several reasons, including the sub-par performance of this team.

      • Consider together why this team is failing to deliver the expected results. Is this a motivation problem, an ability problem, or is it both?
      • What role does Bret have in the current results the team is achieving?
      • If you were in Bret’s shoes, what would you do next to ensure the success of the project?

      Please note: You will be discussing this mini-case in your groups through Whatsapp.

      This content is provided to you freely by BYU-I Books.

      Access it online or download it at https://books.byui.edu/leadership_toolkit/create_physically.