9. The Accountability Ladder: Climb Up or Slide Down?

In the trades and manufacturing world, the unexpected can knock on your door any time. A late delivery, a miscalculation, or an error on the floor—these moments can derail your progress or set you up for growth. 

How you respond decides whether you move forward or fall behind. This is where the Accountability Ladder comes in.

What is the Accountability Ladder? Imagine a ladder with two paths: 

• Climb Up: Take accountability.
• Slide Down: Stay a victim.

When things go sideways, accountability means facing the facts, owning the situation, finding a fix, and taking action. Avoiding, blaming, or making excuses? That’s when you start sliding into inaction and missed opportunities.

Climbing Up the Ladder

1. Seek Reality: Get clear on the facts without any fluff.
2. Acknowledge It: Admit what’s gone wrong.
3. Own It: Take responsibility—no passing the buck.
4. Find a Solution: Be proactive, think solutions.
5. Get on with It: Turn those plans into action.

Sliding Down the Ladder

1. Avoid Reality: Don’t look, don’t see.
2. Fight Reality: Argue against the facts.
3. Blame: Point fingers at anyone but yourself.
4. Excuses: Justify why you’re not at fault.
5. Wait and Hope: Cross your fingers and hope it resolves itself.

Action = Outcome

In practical terms, taking accountability in your workshop, factory floor or on-site means that when something goes wrong, you deal with it head-on. Sure, it’s easy to wait and hope, but hope doesn’t get results. Action does. And action starts with owning the problem and pushing for a solution.

So next time you're in the thick of it, think of the ladder. 

Are you stepping up or letting yourself slip down? 

Because where you land determines your outcome—and ultimately, your success. 

Remember: Climbing the ladder isn’t always easy, but neither is staying at the bottom.