QBQ! Personal Accountability QuickNote

After I spoke at a leadership conference in Long Beach, CA, on Personal Accountability and the QBQ!, one of the 2,400 attendees emailed this story. It's an inspiring example of personal accountability in action which I encourage you to share with others. The QBQ makes a real difference in people's lives! Enjoy.

"John, I saw QBQ! in action on Sunday morning as we checked out of the hotel. Several of us were departing together and we called down to the valet ninety minutes early to schedule our cab to the Long Beach airport. When we arrived at the lobby on time, there were countless other groups checking out and it was absolute chaos.

We saw five bellmen helping guests depart. When we asked Bellman #1 about our cab, he sent us to catch the 'Super Shuttle' which was not what we wanted. Upon talking to Bellman #2 we were told, 'I didn't take your call.' Bellman #3 stated emphatically: 'I am not working with your party.'

By now, we were hot, bothered and frustrated, not to mention fearful of missing our flight. We tried again with Bellman #4 who said, 'We don't know what happened to your cab, but we can have one here in 10 minutes to take you to LAX.' We clarified that we were going to the Long Beach airport, not LAX, to which he replied, 'Oh. Well, then it'll be a longer wait.'

There we stood, in a sea of people, luggage and cars, just staring at each other in disbelief. Believe me: Not one of us was smiling!

But then our QBQ! Hero appeared: The Fifth Bellman. He approached us and said with a smile, 'If you can wait just a moment, I will go get the hotel van and take you there myself.' Soon we were all smiling!

Certainly, his solution was wonderful all by itself, but get this: He then took us through a fast-food drive-thru for a quick lunch because we were now running behind and wouldn't have time to eat at the airport. What a guy! Not sure if this fella has ever read QBQ!, John, but he sure exemplifies it. It makes me wonder why personal accountability and great service are so hard to find. This gentleman's actions and attitude made it all seem so simple. We'll never forget him!"

This is a terrific, real-life story illustrating how excellent service really is just that simple. Instead of asking unproductive questions like, "Why do I have to do everything myself?" or "Who's going to solve the problem?" it's far better to ask QBQs such as, "What can I do to contribute?" and "How can I make a difference?" When we ask The Question Behind the Question and practice personal accountability, we not only solve problems and serve others well, we also create wonderful memories for people.

That's what The Fifth Bellman did. I want to do that too, don't you?

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John G. Miller
Author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch

QBQ! QuickNotes may be forwarded by email to others or printed in their entirety with credit given for personal and group use. Copyright QBQ, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved.

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Personal Accountability should be an important part of every organizational culture. Unfortunately though a culture of personal accountability is often times eroded and replaced by a destructive culture characterized by negativity, blame shifting, finger pointing, and poor employee morale.

QBQ! The Question Behind The Question seeks to eliminate this noxious culture and replace it with one where individuals take responsibility for their actions and ask themselves what they as individuals can do to help the organization succeed and prosper.

For more information about how you can create a culture of personal accountability in your organization give us a shout!

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