The Accountability Minute:Business Acceleration|Productivity

Today we are talking about solution #6 to help you become even more self-motivated which is to Set Goals. Setting goals and then working towards achieving them is what motivates us to succeed. Start by writing your goals down and position them so they are visible. Make sure they are measurable goals and not just wishes, dreams, and hopes. Make sure to have a date with each goal (month, day, year)...

Today we are talking about solution #5 to help you become even more self-motivated which is to Reward Your Achievements. Acknowledge every achievement, no matter how small. Perhaps you have undertaken a huge project that you’ve broken down into smaller, “doable” steps and you finally complete the first stage. Congratulate and reward yourself! Take a 15-minute break to refresh your mind and body. A...

Today we are talking about solution #4 to help you become even more self-motivated which is to Ignore Distractions.   Ignoring distractions is difficult in a busy, noise-filled work environment, but you can train your brain to block out distracting sounds and only focus on those you wish to hear. Be even more laser focused on what you need to do in order to achieve your goals. Tune out the “noise”...

Today we are talking about solution #3 to help you become even more self-motivated which is to Schedule your Emails and Phone Calls. Set a time each day for reading and following up on emails. Don’t open emails as soon as they arrive – they can become a major distraction.  If you receive a lot of emails, especially from clients, schedule two “email sessions” during the day and stick to those two t...

Today we are talking about solution #2 to help you become even more self-motivated which is to Prioritize Your Day. At the end of each day, review your plans for the next day and record any tasks you didn’t complete. Start your work day by reviewing your list and prioritizing the most important projects and activities. Ease yourself into the day by completing a couple of “no-brainers” first up. Th...

Today we are talking about solution #1 to help you become even more self-motivated which is to Plan Your Schedule. Accomplishing the day-to-day tasks we have to complete builds confidence and a sense of achievement. Record all the small goals you have to complete each day.  A to-do list (that is in priority order) helps you use your time efficiently and accomplish the tasks you have set yourself....

Let’s start off our time today by looking at the humble alarm clock. For some people, the sound of the alarm clock is a signal to jump out of bed with a smile on their face, and bounce through the day, full of excitement and enthusiasm about what the next 16 or so hours will hold. On the other hand, there are those who hear the alarm clock through a thick fog of sleep, yawn persistently, stretch a...

Define Core Values to Align Successful Behavior and Goals is Key to Your Success. In order to successfully apply the principles and systems to help you experience even greater success, it is vital that you first identify your values, so you can then create behaviors that support your values. When there is conflict or a discrepancy between your values and behavior or goals, success is impossible. Y...

Belief in yourself and positive thinking create a hamster wheel of self-realization that is nearly impossible to stop once it gains momentum. If you’re always committed to having a great day, you will find yourself looking back on a string of good days, and that will give you the mental peace and endurance you need to continue believing that future days will be good as well. It is like a self-char...

Much like a boomerang, the beliefs and thoughts you put into your mind, and the energy you project into your work and personal life, will always come back around. We get to choose the lenses that we see the world through. Our beliefs and intentionality truly do have the power to help us achieve our goals. If you don’t have a vision board, or it isn’t current, or where you can see it, create one, u...

In order to truly be successful, you have to believe you have the capacity for that success. Ultimately, it is all about harnessing the power of the Law of Attraction . The Law of Attraction is simple. It is the belief that having positive thoughts about your life and future will “attract” more positivity and prosperity in your life. Also called “self-fulfilling prophecy,” this concept is not a ne...

Nick Saban (who you might know from him being the American football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007) said, “When you invest your time, you make a goal and a decision of something that you want to accomplish. Whether it's, make good grades in school, be a good athlete, be a good person, go down and do some community service and help somebody who's in need, or whatever it is...

The purpose of a script that I created on How to Handle Incoming Calls is designed to help with time management and productivity of everyone on the team by scheduling return phone calls for the person who has to return the call to answer the question for which the client is calling about. This significantly helps reduce distractions and provides even better client service to the person calling. Yo...

Today we are talking about Step #7 of the 7 steps to finding and retaining quality staff, which is to ask an employee who is leaving for the reason they decided to leave.    A brief exit interview is a great learning tool for you. Why did they leave? Money? Working hours? Misplaced expectations? Tired of being the only A player among C players on the team? Don’t make the exit interview an interrog...

Today we are talking about Step #6 to finding and retaining quality staff, which is to train the new hire.    Yes, you’re hiring the best expert for the job you need done, BUT this new person needs to know how you want things done. Just because they were a bookkeeper in their former position, doesn’t mean they will address your books in a way you are expecting. Before you can train, you need to ha...

Today we are talking about Step #5 to finding and retaining quality staff, which is to treat your new hire as a member of the team.    No one wants to work with a dictator or a micromanager. If you were clear in your hiring requirements, you should be able to rest easy that the tasks you’re hiring for are those which you can delegate and trust the new hire to do them well on your behalf.    Downlo...

Today we are talking about Step #4 to finding and retaining quality staff, which is to be open to suggestions on potential changes to procedures.    If you have a new staff member who looks at some of your current procedures (assuming you have all tasks documented, which most firms don’t) and can streamline them, ask for more details about what they’re proposing. If they can help make things easie...

Today we are talking about Step #3 to finding and retaining quality staff, which is to have a very clear and specific written job description.    It is not enough to simply say what you want done. Give the new team member a detailed job description – not so detailed that it’s novel length, but detailed enough that you both understand the deliverables and agree to them.    A clear and specific writ...

Today we are talking about Step #2 to finding and retaining quality staff, which is to leave the door open for negotiation on tasks and responsibilities.    You may hire someone who far exceeds your expectations, and your business grows. It may get to the point where, because of growth, you need to hire a new person who can take on tasks D and E. Don’t forget to ask the original hire whether he or...

Today we are talking about Step #1 to finding and retaining quality staff, which is to be very clear on what you want the individual to do.   If you hire someone and they think they are doing A and you want them to do B and perhaps C, and you didn’t tell them up front, they may balk and leave. If you hire for task A but then add on B and C without further compensation you may have to re-hire or pa...

Finding and retaining quality staff whether you’re hiring employees or contractors, can be a difficult task for many entrepreneurs. There is a myriad of reasons this is true. It takes a focused, strategic approach to hiring and growing your team that will help propel you and your business forward.    Sometimes, though, no matter how well you have hired and how many strategies you have in place for...

It is amazing to me how many people don’t have a specific agenda for meetings they hold and then they wonder why meetings take so long. Our time is valuable, so we want to use it wisely. To help you with creating an agenda and action items that will result from the meeting, take a look at my worksheet template and modify it to work for you.    The purpose for the Agenda & Action Item Worksheet...

Today we are talking about Idea #8 of the 8 ideas for getting things done the right way, which is: Write Annual Self-Evaluations and Look for Areas of Improvement. Ask yourself the following questions: ·         Did I provide the best service I believe my clients deserve? ·         Did I act with 100% integrity in all of my personal and professional relations? ·         Did I focus on the highest...

Today we are talking about Idea #7 for getting things done the right way, which is to: Write an Action Plan.   You don't have to know exactly what to do, some of it you will have to figure out along the way, but you must have a general plan of action.  Say you want to completely eliminate your $10,000 debt.  Write an action plan detailing exactly how much money you will commit to paying every...

Today we are talking about Idea #6 for getting things done the right way, which is to: Remove Negative Emotions. Taking action based on feelings of fear, anger, or jealousy will get you no where and can even lead to goal regression.  Negative emotions sabotage your success - period.  Remove them from your thoughts and actions, and you will be getting things done the right way.  Pay attention to wh...