The lack of personal accountability is a problem that has resulted in an epidemic of blame, victim thinking, complaining, and procrastination. No organization-or individual-can successfully compete in the marketplace, achieve goals and objectives, provide outstanding service, engage in exceptional teamwork, or develop people without personal accountability. John G. Miller believes that the troubles that plague organizations cannot be solved by pointing fingers and blaming others. Rather, the real solutions are found when each of us recognizes the power of personal accountability. In QBQ! The Question Behind the Question®, Miller explains how negative, ill-focused questions like "Why do we have to go through all this change?" and "Who dropped the ball?" represent a lack of personal accountability. Conversely, when we ask better questions-QBQs-such as "What can I do to contribute?" or "How can I help solve the problem?" our lives and our organizations are transformed.

THE QBQ! PROMISE

This remarkable and timely book provides a practical method for putting personal accountability into daily actions, with astonishing results: problems are solved, internal barriers come down, service improves, teams thrive, and people adapt to change more quickly. QBQ! is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to learn, grow, and change. Using this tool, each of us can add tremendous worth to our organizations and to our lives by eliminating blame, victim-thinking, and procrastination.

QBQ! was written more than a decade ago and has helped countless readers practice personal accountability at work and at home. This version features a new foreword, revisions and new material throughout, and a section of FAQs that the author has received over the years.

John G. Miller is the founder of QBQ, Inc., a development company that has worked with hundreds of Fortune 500 and other companies and government and nongovernment organizations internationally. Miller is also the bestselling author of Flipping the Switch: Five Keys to Success at Work and in Life and Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional. He lives in Denver. Learn more at http://qbq.com.

Introduction: What Ever Happened to...

1. A Picture of Personal Accountability 2. Making Better Choices 3. QBQ! The Question Behind the Question 4. Don't Ask "Why?" 5. The Victim 6. "Why Is This Happening to Me?" 7. "Why Do We Have to Go Through All This Change?" 8. "Why Don't They Communicate Better?" 9. Don't Ask "When?" 10. Procrastination: The Friend of Failure 11. "When Will We Get More Tools and Better Systems?" 12. "When Are We Going to Hear Something New?" 13. Don't Ask "Who?" 14. A Poor Sailor Blames the Wind 15. Silos 16. Beat the Ref 17. "Who Dropped the Ball?" 18. Ownership 19. The Foundation of Teamwork 20. Making Accountability Personal: All QBQs Contain an "I" 21. I Can Only Change Me 22. "He Didn't, I Did" 23. "When Will Others Walk Their Talk?" 24. An Integrity Test 25. The Power of One 26. A QBQ Twist 27. Will the Real Role Models Please Stand Up! 28. Practicing Personal Accountability: All QBQs Focus on Action 29. The Risk of Doing Nothing 30. "Thanks for Shopping at the Home Depot!" 31. Leaders at All Levels 32. The Cornerstone of Leadership 33. Accountability and Boundaries 34. A Great List of Lousy Questions 35. The Spirit of the QBQ 36. Wisdom 37. We Buy Too Many Books 38. A Final Picture 39. The Motor of Learning QBQ FAQs Getting More OUt of the QBQ