Season 2 Episode 19 – Getting Things Done Isn’t Accountability

“The payoff of simply checking things off our list, is feeling productive; the cost, is not feeling truly fulfilled or achieving the future we committed to.” – Kari Granger

When all stakeholders thrive, profits rise. And, in order for stakeholders to thrive, accountability is critical. However, what many people miss about accountability is the stark difference between accomplishing outcomes and simply getting tasks done. Join Kari Granger and Paul Adams as they explore how many businesses function, the culture of ‘More,’ and the powerful alternative of outcome-driven performance.

In This Episode:

01:00 – Introducing today’s topic: Getting Things Done Isn’t Accountability

02:17 – The example of a team that redesigned their monthly meeting

04:37 – The importance of aligning on the outcomes of your regularly scheduled meetings 

05:23 – Organizing your calendar to accomplish what matters (not just tasks)

07:01 – Why getting things done is not the same as being accountable to outcomes 

07:52 – The Mission Control: Productivity and Accomplishment course  and using your calendar as a pallet to create the future of your company

09:56 – Symptoms that manifest when people are simply completing tasks without a vision of meaningful outcomes 

10:55 – The myth of “getting it all done” 

11:45 – The vicious cycle of changing roles frequently to alleviate job resentment 

13:43 – Why busyness is often used as an excuse  

15:54 – Two types of businesspeople that tend to lose sight of outcomes 

17:13 – The culture of ‘More’

20:07 – The questions to ask yourself to intervene in the drift of more for more’s sake

22:23 – Paul and Kari challenge the audience to consider the outcomes for themselves and others, and  reorient their actions to be in service of those outcomes

23:11 – The off-course flight metaphor

Quotes:

• “Start meetings by naming the outcome of the meeting.” – Kari Granger 

• “It’s common for leaders to default into massive producers of action and to lose sight of their actual leadership impact.” – Kari Granger 

• “The very meaning of your life is absent when you’re just doing tasks.” – Kari Granger 

• “You literally cannot do all of the things coming at you, so you have to make decisions about what to do and what not to do.” – Kari Granger 

• “Without having outcomes in place, you have no idea whether or not your current actions will produce the future that you’re after.” – Paul Adams 

• “When all stakeholders thrive, profits do rise.” – Kari Granger 

• “With no stated outcome, the only action you’re likely to take is doing more.” – Paul Adams 

• “Accountability is really being oriented around outcomes.” – Kari Granger 
• “Attach yourself to the outcome. Don’t be attached to the tasks.” – Kari Granger 

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Links:

Kari’s Website

Paul’s Website

The Mission Control Productivity and Accomplishment Course

Paul’s Other Podcast: Your Business Your Wealth 

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Acknowledgements:
Our work is mosaic art. We read, study, and practice many philosophies, methodologies, and modalities of human performance, to ensure that our approach best serves our clients. We would like to acknowledge all of the thought leaders and organizations, whose ground-breaking work has influenced the Granger Network approach – especially Fernando Flores, Jim Selman, Michael C. Jensen, Julio Olalla, Pluralistic Networks, The Newfield Network, and the Strozzi Institute.

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