Accountability falls beneath two classes: the issues we do and the issues we do not do. We frequently talk about accountability associated to what’s completed, however do you actually take the time to carry your self accountable for what doesn’t get carried out?
As a frontrunner, accountability begins with you. You set the instance. So, do you maintain your self accountable as usually as you maintain your staff accountable?
Listed here are three fast tricks to “up” your inner accountability sport.
1. Don’t break the appointments you’ve set with your self.
We not often set appointments on our calendar with others and overlook, and even cancel, the appointments. Why is it that it appears really easy to interrupt appointments with ourselves? It’s easy to make excuses when the one particular person you’re answering to is your self.
Use your calendar to put aside time for particular actions you’ve dedicated to taking and be sure you’re conscious of the advantages the motion will present. For instance, we advocate setting time apart weekly for recruitment. You count on your sellers to put aside time weekly, if not day by day, for prospecting and new enterprise growth. Recruitment is a supervisor’s equal of prospecting.
Set appointments with your self to search for expertise so that you’re making constant deposits in your expertise financial institution. Use LinkedIn, community with native schools, and join with referrals. What’s the profit to you? When a change happens in your staff, as a substitute of scrambling to discover a heat physique, you could have somebody proficient to drag off of the bench.
2. Give up the blame sport.
Accountability is possession of a end result, however accountability entails rolling up your sleeves and getting the job carried out. We get annoyed when others aren’t held accountable for his or her tasks, however we’re normally fast to play the blame sport after we fall quick on one thing we have been presupposed to do. Exterior circumstances, lack of follow-up from others, not sufficient sources, blah, blah, blah.
Certain, perhaps the reasoning is rational. It’s inevitable that issues will get in the best way and decelerate the method. Even so, we should keep accountability for the end result, whatever the circumstances. Cease pointing your finger and saying, “you must have,” and as a substitute, ask your self what you must have carried out. Keep away from utilizing the phrase “however…” in any respect prices.
You’re not doing your self any favors by sugar-coating and making excuses as to why one thing didn’t occur. Benefit from the scenario by studying from it.
3. Outline your procrastination.
All of us have distinctive procrastination habits. Once I’m procrastinating, I decrease my degree of focus and purposefully enable distractions. What was that notification? Who simply emailed me? What does my schedule appear to be for tomorrow? Did my abdomen simply growl? Wow, it looks like I’ll have run out of time proper now to finish this undertaking…
Outline your procrastination habits, no matter they might be, and brainstorm methods to forestall them from occurring. Shut out of electronic mail and switch off your notifications. Determine while you actually get your finest work carried out and reserve that point of day in your calendar.
Set a aim for your self – it’s solely okay to stroll away when you’ve accomplished A, B, and C. And for those who’re nonetheless struggling, ask another person to assist maintain you accountable. Decide to sending them what you’ve completed by a sure time of the day.
Conclusion
George Washington Carver stated, “Ninety-nine p.c of all failures come from individuals who have a behavior of constructing excuses.” Maintain your self accountable to your actions and commitments. You, and your staff, will likely be arrange for fulfillment.
*Editor’s Notice: This weblog was initially written in 2016 and has since been up to date.
