Taking responsibility for the results of your work is true accountability. In business, being held accountable means meeting someone else’s expectations with your work and accepting the consequences of how you achieve this. Many business owners think because they are in charge of their business, they have no one to hold them accountable. This is simply not true – you are accountable to your team and your customers.
So why is accountability so important, and what does it mean for the day-to-day running of your business?
Increases motivation
It is easier to get work done if you have someone who is waiting to see the results. While it is possible to work without having to meet someone else’s expectations, most people struggle to push themselves to get more challenging tasks done without someone holding them accountable. This is one of the many benefits of having a coach. You will be guided by someone with considerable business experience who can help you set goals and make sure you meet them.
Consistent performance
Although you cannot completely avoid unforeseen hitches at work, your work performance will be as consistent as possible if you regularly meet your objectives. When your output is steady, you are in the right place for setting more targets and knowing how to make necessary changes. If your performance is irregular, areas for improvement may be harder to spot, and may go unaddressed as a result.
Objectivity
This is where feedback – or rather, in coaching terms ‘feedforward’ – comes in. You need to be seeking an outside perspective on your work as well as taking responsibility for it yourself. Getting another opinion can be uncomfortable; no-one likes hearing criticism on something they take pride in. However, as the business owner, you cannot examine your business with a completely unbiased eye. Ask for feedforward from as many people as you can: your team, a coach, fellow businesspeople, your audience, even your friends and family. Once they know where you are currently at, they can help you get to where you want to be.
Set an example *1
If you can show your team that you are accountable for your own results, you are setting a standard for how they handle theirs. They will be more willing to do the work you ask of them if they know you are willing to put in as much effort as you expect of them. When it comes to running a team, accountability isn’t one sided. As well as you being responsible for your team members’ output, they will also be the first people to see the results of yours.
Results happen
When you show you can be held accountable, work gets done and results happen. When your work performance is consistent – or improves – the same will happen with the goals you meet and the ensuing results. You are not just accountable to yourself and your team, but to your customers. If your results aren’t good enough, you will not be able to deliver to your customers. Once your audience realises you cannot deliver what you offer, this will reflect badly on your business, and you will have a harder time attracting new customers in the long run.
Save time *2
Without accountability, problems will start to accumulate as a result of tasks being done late or not at all. Before long, it will get harder and harder to pinpoint the underlying cause of a problem and how to fix it. If you are careful to meet your short and long-term objectives, you will avoid many potential problems. Any outstanding work will be less daunting because it will not be competing with work that should have already been done, and you will be able to do it more effectively as a result.
If you are looking for someone to hold you accountable for your own results, please visit our website to claim your free Business Growth Coaching Session here:
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