The Accountability Minute:Business Acceleration|Productivity

Today we are talking about step #2 to build persistent behavior, which is to, Focus on Your Big Goals.   Persistence will be a lot easier to achieve if you stay focused on your big goals. Think of the upsides to what you are doing. Imagine where you will be when you finally DO succeed at your highest level. You have been working for it, and you are going to have to continue to work towards it… but...

Today we are talking about step #1 to build persistent behavior, which is to, Realize That Motivation Is Not Enough.   Getting motivated is a great way to start your day, but unless you are an enigma with an endless supply of motivation… you are going to experience some downtimes. The sad truth is that, to put it quite bluntly, motivation is GOING to fail you at some point or another. A lot of peo...

Persistence is sort of like a ‘magic word’ when it comes to success. Persistence is basically the repetition or continuation of behavior, and it is an absolutely essential part of business. As a successful business owner, you no doubt have at least a pretty good idea of what it takes to be persistent, though it never hurts to revisit a subject that is this important.    The whole idea of persisten...

Identify Even More to Delegate by Using This Free Delegation Exercise    To help you be even more effective and efficient, so you can achieve your goals at an accelerated rate, it’s my guess that you can delegate even more to your team members than you have or might think possible. Stop holding on to activities that can be done by someone else and do only those activities that you can do and can’t...

Today are talking about key #5 of the 5 keys to being an effective delegator, which is to Reward Subordinates for A Job Well Done.   If you have delegated a job to a subordinate and have returned to find it done and done well, do not hesitate to offer due praise. This will help to build your employee’s confidence, and will also strengthen their desire to do a good job for you. Being positive and t...

Today are talking about key #4 to being an effective delegator, which is to Learn To Let Go If There Is Nothing To Worry About.   Delegating can be difficult for people who are always used to being in control. If you have good people underneath you, whom you can trust, then try your best not to worry about the projects that you delegate out. Of course, if you feel that you need an update on the pr...

Today are talking about key #3 to being an effective delegator, which is Don’t Micromanage.   Staying informed and on top of the situation is one thing… but micromanaging is something else. Never try to micromanage a project that you have given to someone else. This will just interfere with workflow, and will also cause your subordinate to feel like they are not trusted or appreciated. If you cann...

Today are talking about key #2 to being an effective delegator, which is to Surround Yourself with People You Can Trust.   If you can’t trust anyone beneath you, then you are just going to cause more problems for yourself in the long run by attempting to put them in charge of anything. This is why it is SO important to have good, reliable people around you. Delegating relies upon the existence of...

Today are talking about key #1 to being an effective delegator, which is to Understand What It Means To Delegate.   Delegating a job or task to someone underneath you is not always easy, especially at first… but it is an essential part of growth, and you will likely find that you will be unable to move forward with any kind of speed if you do not have what it takes to turn a project or activity ov...

Delegation is one of the many keys to success, but it is, surprisingly, one of the weakest points for many leaders. Believe it or not, there are A LOT of leaders in small business who do not know how to delegate effectively. There can be a number of reasons for having difficulty in the delegation department, most of them related to the inability of the leader to relinquish control. A lot of leader...

Today we are talking about Strategy #5 of the 5 strategies to help you with Personal Change, which is to Be Flexible .   In this strategy we aren’t talking about being physically flexible; however, that is always a good idea to work on your physical flexibility. I would include this under strategy #4 that we talked about yesterday which is to Look After Yourself.   Changes don’t always occur the w...

Today we are talking about Strategy #4 to help you with Personal Change, which is to Look after Yourself.   Change, no matter how big or small, requires a healthy mind and a healthy body. Change doesn’t have to occur overnight – it may take weeks, even months, to make the necessary changes.    Take care of yourself. Eat regularly, exercise, breathe, and make time to relax.  How many times do you h...

Today we are talking about Strategy #3 to help you with Personal Change, which is to Clarify your Commitment .   Change requires commitment and self-discipline. You won’t always get it right the first time, so you’ve got to find the strength and purpose to get back up and try again. When you are fully committed and all in, you will see a difference in what you can accomplish, then if you are only...

Today we are talking about Strategy #2 to help you with Personal Change, which is to Nullify the negatives .   Be honest and ask yourself what is it that’s holding you back? What beliefs are you clinging to which prevent you from moving forward? What is the worst possible outcome you could experience from change?   Once you take a realistic and logical look at the reasons why you are resisting cha...

Today we are talking about Strategy #1 to help you with Personal Change, which is to Focus on the positives.   Change generally results in a positive outcome. Rather than focus on feelings you may be experiencing like insecurity, discomfort, or anxiety, concentrate instead on how the new experience will enhance your current situation.   Imagine yourself once the changes have taken place and think...

Progress requires change, so we must develop change strategies that reduce our resistance and allow us to view change with a positive and constructive attitude.   Although the majority of us initially react to change with feelings of anxiety and disorientation, most of us are able, over time, to respond with a more favorable and positive mindset.   After all, 9 times out of 10, change brings about...

We live in a dynamic and progressive world and progress cannot occur without change. Your attitude towards change determines how you prepare and adjust to it.   Change is inevitable. In fact, change can occur so frequently and regularly that in many cases we hardly notice it.   We change our hairstyles, our fashions, our relationships, our opinion, or we re-arrange the furniture; all with little o...

What are the Characteristics of the People You Really Want as Clients?     Think about this: Who are the clients you like the best and enjoy serving? It’s okay to tell the marketplace, these are the people who are best serviced by you and your firm. It is also okay to disengage from those who you don’t enjoy being around and every time they call, you have a negative reaction. Life is for enjoying,...

Create Your Ideal Client Profile to Attract Great Clients     During the course of my many conversations with many initial coaching clients, I have found that many don’t have an Ideal Client Profile written down. Not only do you need one written down, but you must also be committed to it. Most people seem to have an idea in their head or they have a few things written down but not a total list of...

Today we are talking about Step #4 of the 4 steps to help you Increase The Power of Your Focus, which is to Time Block Everything and then Honor Your Calendar Time Blocks .   Once you have your tasks listed, put all your activities on your calendar time blocks.  Determine how much time it takes to do each activity and place them on your calendar.  A good rule of thumb is to add a bit more time to...

Today we are talking about Step #3 to help you Increase Your Power of Focus, which is to Create a Daily Task List.   At the end of each day, create and update your Task List for the following day.  Prioritize your tasks in order of importance, with the most important being at the top of the list.  The following day, start with the number one item and work your way down the list.  At the end of the...

Today we are talking about Step #2 to help you Increase Your Power of Focus, which is to  Create a Short-Term Goals List.   What are your Short-Term Goals? Within one week?  Within 3 months?  Whatever they are, include specific dates down to the month, day and year.  Prioritize your short-term goals and put the goal that is most important to you at the top of the list.  When you finish the most im...

Today we are talking about Step #1 to help you Increase Your Power of Focus, which is to Create a Long-Term Goals List.   What are your Long-Term Goals within the next 3-5 years?  Within 10 years?  They can be anything you want - but they must be what you really want.  Your Long-Term Goals should go far beyond your comfort zone and how you would ideally like to see your life.  Asking to retire ric...

Living your life without practicing The Power of Focus, is like trying to hit the bull’s eye of a target you can’t see.  You can spend hours launching arrows, only to miss the target entirely.  You become exhausted and frustrated when your repeated efforts don’t show the results you are trying to achieve.  This is what it feels like to operate without The Power of Focus.   To get to where you want...

Today we are talking about tip #5 of the 5 tips for balancing business and life when things get hectic, which is, Don’t Feel Bad for Taking Time Off.   Whatever you do, don’t get down on yourself for taking some time off. Whether it is an hour for lunch, leaving early on Friday, a weekend vacation, or even an extended getaway to your favorite resort, remember that if you have planned it and planne...