Craig Jennings

Accountability - is more better?

Posted by: craigj under Accountability, Productivity

Accountability is much in the news these days. Would you agree that it’s also much avoided?

And “when you point your finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you!”

The solo-preneur has no one else to point at. As the business grows larger, accountability is distributed, but avvountability still comes back to the top dog. How can you make yourself more accountable, more effective, more aware of your responsibilities, more active in discharging them?

It’s a challenge for all human beings, but for no-one more than the entrepreneur or small-business owner.

If we go back to the beginning of the small business, you may have decided you weren’t going to work for a jerk any more, that you were going to “be the man” rather than answer to him, that you were tired of taking orders, or of being given responsibility without authority. Leaders make lots of mistakes, quickly perceived by those who follow them.

But, if you’re an entrepreneur, you may have discovered that there is absolutely nothing harder than making promises to yourself, and then keeping them!

I don’t know about you, but I’ll give myself any sleazy excuse I can rather than admit failure, or laziness, or carelessness, or unwillingness to look ahead or to do something I don’t want to do. You too?

If we have met the enemy, and he is us, then I invite you to consider business coaching.

It’s ironic, but after we got rid of the person who held us accountable, we discovered that something may have stopped working in our life. Many of us didn’t focus on strategy. Many of us just “do it, do it, do it.” Many of us failed to commit “CEO Time.” Frankly, it’s damn hard - we want to do the easy stuff first, and as Covey has warned us, the elements in our business which are “Important but not urgent” are the last ones to get done.

Consider taking on a “partner without equity,” someone who’ll help you make promises and help you keep them. He’s called an accountability partner, and you give him the power and permission to help you hold yourself to account. He’s a business coach.

Many professional athletes employ multiple coaches - Tiger Woods had 4 different coaches some months ago. (He’s currently getting different coaching!) Big businesses offer professional coaching to high-level employees. It’s considered a perk, and an investment in productivity.

But small business owners are always “on their own.” And, while we try to operate at the top of our productivity at all times, it doesn’t always happen.

There are 25-30 entrepreneurs who work with me every month, and many of them hold me as an accountability partner. Our common purpose, to create a cost-effective process that provides an amazing result. Curiously enough, it’s not all that hard. Help is good. Good help is even better.

Accountability - it’s one of the aspects of your business which you could have another look at.

You can call me at 516 944-6454, or fill out the form on this page and I’ll call you.

The initial conversation is free, and the meter doesn’t run until we both agree.

Best,

Craig Jennings