I have had four experiences
this week of people not doing what they said they would do.
These people are reputable, experienced leaders and vendors that
are very influential in our world of creating successful
outcomes. Not only is it frustrating to not get what you
think you will be getting when you think you will get it, it
is darn tough to plan for success if the pieces and parts
are missing.
What is it that we are
doing that keeps us from being accountable? What keeps us
from completing and delivering what it is that we
promised…what we need to get done and completed in order to
create successful outcomes?
Here are three (3)
potential issues that show up as
success and accountability
busters. I offer them to you to see if they
might some of what is keeping you from being as successful
(and timely) as you would like.
Success and Accountability Busters:
1. Doing what is in front
of us instead of doing what needs to be done.
I can’t think of a more
disrupting practice than wandering around doing what is easy
rather than what is necessary. By the end of the day,
we feel like we have worked hard, but in fact have
accomplished very little. A very good practice that I
learned from my coach Phil Humbert, was schedule 3-4 “very
important” items that you will complete by the end of the
day. That means before you go to sleep. If you
say you will do them, then you do. Obviously trying to
fit in writing an entire book is not a good idea to complete
in one day. Prioritizing and completing your work will
make you feel very good and proud of yourself.
2.
Impossible schedule and
expectations that even "Super Man" could not complete.
Nothing in the world will
defeat you more than having too much on your list to do.
Yes, we all write to do lists. A suggestion would be
to take your list and put it into categories that will work
for your style of working. Natalie Hoffmann of our
office is working on taking all of our recurring work and
putting it into daily, weekly and monthly tasks. We
will all know when something ought to be done and when we
actually will have the time to do other items. I think
this is a great process and will remove the guessing of what
to prioritize. Of course, a client’s need will always
have our attention. Other than that, you ought to be
able to have a reasonable and workable schedule that will
provide self reward and monetary reward.
3.
Doing stuff that is
easy rather than what is due, important or routine.
When I first started my
business, I fell into this time trap often. I would
straighten out the shelves, collate documents, order
supplies…anything to avoid what was hard or what I really
felt I did not know how to do. Once I figured out that
many times I avoided being accountable because I was
“afraid” I would do something wrong, I began to recognize my
behavior and was able to get help. Call someone and
say “I am avoiding and not being productive…will you help me
think this through?” Do you know NO ONE has ever said
no to that kind of call from me. Many of the people
who are out there doing business today can take a bow for
helping me reach my successful outcomes.
You will always have stuff
to do and that stuff will make or break you. Do what you
are good at. Find someone to help when you can’t get going
to finish what is important. And find someone who is good
at doing what you hate to do or don’t do well.
Early in my career I found
a bookkeeper who LOVED to work with receipts, figure out the
numbers, pay the bills and file the paperwork. I could not
believe people like that existed. God bless the talents of
others.
