Here are 3 reasons why it’s acceptable to hold others accountable.
One phrase that everyone is familiar with is, “practice what you preach.” It implies that you should be committed to doing what you say. Accountability is a powerful concept because through it success, purpose, and integrity can be formed and honed. Through relationships, whether it is family, friendship or a casual relationship, accountability should be exercised when necessary. Studies show that when someone is held accountable the success rate of honoring their commitment increases by 95%.
With that being said, what happens when someone is not familiar with the concept of accountability? What happens when our relationships struggle or fail with being accountable for their actions?
With these questions in mind, here are 3 reasons why it is acceptable to hold others accountable:
1. One Should Keep Their Word
We all are familiar with experiencing powerful messages. Whether the words are being listened to or read, inspiring statements have influence—and when applied to the right situation, can be very powerful. Words can be powerful because in them lie a message.
We all have had experiences with people who say one thing and do something else. This is a concept that is a widespread epidemic in our society. These are people that fail to realize the incongruities between their words and actions. They fail to realize that within their word lies commitment and promise.
Because words entail commitment and promise, it is vital to be concise with our words and actions—and to expect this from others. Many times, if not all the time, when someone's word is broken so is the trust in that person's word. When this happens, let them know how it’s affecting you and talk it over. Remind them that their word is their bond. It is reasonable to hold them accountable. For relationships that go beyond the casual mark, consider this quote, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
2. Your Feelings Matter
Holding the people in your life responsible for how their actions affect your feelings is crucial to having healthy and accountable relationships. Your feelings matter. If you feel that your feelings are being underrated, communicate! Cordially hold them accountable and tell them what you need.
3. Your Expectations Matter
As relational beings, we have the propensity to gauge our happiness on whether or not our expectations are fulfilled. This is not uncommon. Naturally, it feels good when our expectations are met because our hopes have been satisfied. However, expectations can be tricky because expectations among persons are sometimes based on an “unspoken social contract”— this entails preconceived expectation(s) created internally without externally verbalizing what is to be expected. While your expectations matter, make sure that the expectations are communicated. If your expectations are communicated, the person knows the expectation(s) and still fails to honor your expectation(s), then some changes need to be made.
While your feelings and expectations matter, be reminded that it is hard for someone to live up to expectations when they don’t know what they are. Again, communicate. Healthily hold those in your circle accountable—helping them to practice what they preach. Through this, you will begin to develop a better sense of your authority and experience the power of accountability.