Accountability
Article:
Accountability:
By the People
In January 2001,
in his inaugural address, President Bush spoke of ushering in
an "era of responsibility." Eight years later,
President Obama declared that we need a new "era of responsibility."
Now don't get me wrong—these
declarations are all well and good and are certainly nice things
for a president to say—but personal accountability surely
doesn't start with words from Washington. It's not
a presidential proclamation; it's a practice by the people.
Actions by me—and you. You see, it's the people asking
better questions, making better choices, and acting accountably
that gives this great Nation our strength.
In the QBQ! book we tell
the fun story of Judy titled, "Thanks for shopping at The
Home Depot!" But today we talk about Laurie, from that
same fine organization. This picture of personal accountability
comes from Leslie, a trainer in the construction industry and
a QBQ! QuickNote subscriber. Enjoy!
John G. Miller
-----------------
John, several years ago
I went to The Home Depot and purchased a large amount of expensive
carpet for my home. A couple years after it was installed,
a friend of mine—who knows flooring—noticed a defect
in the carpet. I called The Home Depot and reached a gal named
Laurie Lawler. After I explained what we found, she called the
manufacturer who wanted their own expert to have a look. He
came, he studied my carpet, he left.
We heard nothing for
a few weeks, but Laurie remained diligent on my behalf. Finally,
the manufacturer said they would replace the carpet ... for
FREE! This was great news, and beyond that Laurie informed
me the carpet installer would also move my furniture! Since
I have a baby grand piano and a lot of heavy, solid wood pieces,
this promise meant a lot to me.
I picked out the replacement
carpet and a few weeks later it came in. All was well.
But then the installer informed me by phone that they would
NOT move my furniture—"it wasn't their job."
Disappointment! So back to Laurie I went. After doing some checking,
she confirmed that neither the manufacturer nor the installer
would handle the furniture. But ... wait for it ... she would!
Can you imagine that?!
So Laurie came to my
home with a few men and they moved my furniture. Even the baby
grand!! She didn't have to do this. She could've fudged
on her original promise asking, "Why are customers so demanding?"
Or might've blamed the manufacturer or the installer lamenting,
"When are others going to do more?" Nope, she didn't
fuss or complain. Instead, she stepped up and did something
that I will not soon forget; something highly unusual in today's
world: She asked The Question Behind the Question (QBQ), "What
can I do?"
Said differently—she
followed through.
And on top of all this,
I learned from one of the guys with her that the day she was
at my house moving furniture was actually her day off.
And, it was the day before Thanksgiving!
I must say, thanks to
Laurie's example, I find myself checking my own actions.
Would I have done this? Am I that accountable? Do I follow through?
Are there any promises I need to fulfill?
What a great experience.
Consequently, I have written The Home Depot praising Laurie
and committed to shopping at that store for life! I am still
amazed by the personal accountability of Laurie Lawler.
-----------------
Yes, Leslie, personal
accountability is all about the practices of the people—nothing
more, nothing less. Laurie sets a fine example for
us all. And let's not forget, in today's world—in today's
economy—Laurie is what we call a "keeper." Odds
are, she'll continue to be at The Home Depot helping people.
John G. Miller
Author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch
With Kristin Lindeen
QBQ! speaker/workshop facilitator
QBQ! (The Question Behind the
Question) QuickNote
QBQ! QuickNotes™
may be forwarded by email to others or printed in their entirety
with full credit given for personal and group use. © QBQ,
Inc. 2009. All rights reserved.
Did You Know?
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accountability training will allow your employees to thrive
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are doing to increase employee morale and productivity while
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