Business Coaching - The Power of Accountability

A productive and fair-but-firm way to get people to deliver results is to let them know that any failures to follow-through will be exposed at regular management review meetings. The prospect of being held accountable for your actions is enough, for most people, to make them think twice and face up to their demons, to do the tough things needed to make a real difference in their performance. That"s why business coaching is all about accountability.

The billionaire businessman John Caldwell once called the boards of PLC companies "w*nkers in grey suits" because they would blame the economic downturn for failing to hit their targets.

He felt, quite rightly as far as I"m concerned, they defined the targets themselves and seemed to be in a land of make-believe in terms of making it happen, happily sitting back and hoping for the best. He felt that they were running away from their responsibilitiesIt"s a sad fact of life that we often operate in a sleepwalking mode, accepting what we see around us without challenging it in order to live a better life.

I think that Caldwell"s quote about the grey-suited corporate leaders is terrific. When you"re feeling that the world is against you. Are you "a w*nker in a grey suit", avoiding the responsibility of facing up to the harsh reality that you need to change the way you work?

At a recent business lunch, a town mayor responded to frustrated local businessmen complaining about 3 weeks of road closures that were not co-ordinated with them. They lost thousands of pounds. The mayor blamed another council - playing politics while local businesses suffered. He reacted angrily to suggestions they should fix the issue for next time. What right does he have to be angry, when put on the spot by the people he has failed, the same people who pay taxes that pay for his office?

Let's bring this back to talk about you. What have you decided to do differently in your business this year, to make it work effectively in the recession and to avoid the humiliation of failure?

Have you been true to your word? Or are you simply giving up on things, blaming the recession and quietly hoping it will soon end? Who holds your feet to the fire, to make you live up to the promises you made for yourself? Is it time to consider a business coach to help you do what you know you should have already done?

If you don"t find a business coach to work with you, at least take this action. Write down one thing each week that you"re going to try different for your business. Then go public about it - tell your team, your husband or wife that you"re going to do it. Tell them that you"ll buy them lunch if you have not done it by the end of the week. Then stick to your promise - do it, or face the consequences.

You never know, you just might find a great way to improve your business, simply by doing something you"ve known you ought to do all along.