
When it comes to accountability, two main components can be easily identified: what is held for others and what is held for ourselves. And as it’d be expected, most of us are more familiar with holding others accountable, especially, when it serves our purposes.
But it’s possible that at a given point in people’s professional careers, the company they worked were accountable to pay them; and Hell hath no fury like an unpaid employee!
As a boss and leader, everything an employee does impacts the company’s bottom line. Naturally, holding them accountable is vital. But how good are bosses at following through? Do they get to too busy to do so? Do they apply the notion that they shouldn’t have to follow up? And most importantly, have they ever implemented a system to help them?
But one thing it’s for sure, effective accountability will build trust, improve performance, promote ownership, and inspire confidence. And Each of these characteristics is also a desired outcome of effective delegation.
So what’s the best way for a boss to do it? “If you, as a boss, are fond of leveraging technology to help you in your day-to-day life, there are several technology applications in the market that can help you be better at holding your employees accountable and also increase productivity,” says Cat Stancik, an Accountability Expert, “Applications like 17hats, Asana, Producteev, and Box, can help you and your staff keep on top of deliverables in an effective and organized manner. And Remember, it’s not about micromanaging your staff, but supporting them by opening up communications and clarifying expectations.”
Now, what about entrepreneurs? How good are they when it comes to holding themselves accountable? And this is a very fair question, considering that most people have a yearly tradition that demonstrates people’s inability to keep themselves accountable. It’s called New Year’s resolutions. And the truth is that most people have done it at some point: a solemn vow that THIS YEAR they’d get in shape by eating healthier and going to the gym.
These resolutions are often set without a support mechanism to encourage and cheer them on to success.
“If you want bigger results in your business and life, you must have an accountability sytem, and nothing has proved to bring better results than having a coach,” explains Cat Stancik, “You can plan all you want, but accountability is the follow through. If you look at each successful person, no matter how you measure success, each and every one of them had a coach in some form, someone who believed in them and their ability to reach greater heights of success.”
And recent studies seem to support that. A study of 100 executives, the majority from Fortune 1000 companies, found that coaching had a return on investment of 5.7 times the initial investment. The study also showed that executives who received coaching improved productivity by 57% (McGovern et al. 2001).
It is true that not everyone can hire a High-end coach to improve their results through accountability; so with that in mind, here are some Business Productivity Tips that can assist Entrepreneurs and Business owners when setting a goal without a coach if they want to give it a try:
1. Connect with your why: Why do you want to achieve this goal? If your answer isn’t compelling, then revisit the goal.
2. Write it down: Writing down a goal helps bring it into your conscious mind and make it ?real.
3. Leverage a proven system: SMART Goals are a great way to get clear on setting a goal (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound).
4. Break it down: Break your goal into individual steps until it feels easily manageable. And
remember to put an accomplishment date on each step and overarching goal.
5. Make it a priority: Make room for your goal in your life. If there is no room to accomplish it, it won’t get done.
6. Engage an accountability buddy: Having someone else be a part of your goal is a great way to ensure you will meet it.
7. Establish a reward: It is helpful to have a celebratory component to a goal, which can help
continue to drive you to accomplishment in the more difficult moments.
If your company is interested in getting better results through the effective accountability system Cat Stancik teaches at Catalytic Change, then please visit her website at: http://www.catalyticchange.com or call 202-487-9480 for more information.