As the years have flown by, it is not uncommon for the same questions to pop up over and over again, and at the end of the day, my clients (CEOs, Company Presidents, Executive Directors) hire me to make their organizations stronger so that they can be more profitable. I also work with non profit organizations, and their goal is of course to raise more funds, recruit more volunteers and provide more and better services to their clients.

So, today, I want to leave you with five questions that I have heard most often and provide you with one strategy to answer each question. I want to remind you that I am not a consultant…I am a coach, so finding solutions to these challenges rests with the client..my goal is to bring those solutions out of the client and onto the table. While you probably have similar or better solutions than the ones I am listing below, I am simply sharing with you … Read the rest of the post

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“What is going on with the marketing report? When are they going to finish that thing?”

“I can’t believe Mary is so late in making those phone calls.”

“Okay…who dropped the ball this time?”

“Hey…that’s not MY job.”

Does this sound familiar? If so, your small business team may be faced with a big challenge with accountability, which results in finger pointing, frustration and broken trust…both with your employees and your customers. Personal responsibility and accountability can put an end to the blame game, saving your business thousands if not millions of dollars by increasing productivity and overall job satisfaction, which results in very satisfied customers. These five basic approaches can support you in increasing accountability, which are simple, yet they require actually building a culture of accountability for your business.

1. Communicate the big picture- Accountability stands a better chance of succeeding if everyone in your business embraces a larger responsibility for the success of the entire company. Spend time talking individually with team members about how his or her project affects the vision and mission of the business. With this communication, people can make wiser decisions from … Read the rest of the post

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I had the luxury of spending Thanksgiving week at one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in my life…Cape San Blas, Florida.  We arrived on Wednesday afternoon to Amazing Grace (right)  just in time to see one of the most breathtaking sunsets I have ever witnessed…and I gasped!  It literally took my breath away…the vivid mix of orange, pink and red on a canvas of blue with a gigantic sun shining as the centerpiece,  watching the big ball slowly dip below the horizon over  sparkling water.  I have seen similar views but nothing like this.  It truly made me stop dead in my tracks.   I so wish I had had a great camera at that moment.  I tried snapping a similar sunset two days later with my i-phone, but it just did not capture what I wanted to show.

Then, on Friday, as we were all watching the Alabama/Auburn football game (Roll Tide…I am a U. of Al. alum, but my brother-in-law believes that my Alabama degree should be taken away since I know absolutely nothing about Alabama football), the story about Tiger Woods… Read the rest of the post

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Does this sound familiar? If so, your team (or family) may be suffering from a clear lack of accountability.  While I realize the “A” word is used and overused, I am going to continue talking about it, because I believe a clear accountability process is critical for companies, both large and small, to be able to thrive in the future.

Here is what I experience with many leaders I coach.  One of the first questions I ask is this “Tell me about your accountability and decision making process.  How does it work?”  Approximately 93% of the time, the response is “Uhm, well…er…we don’t really have one.”  As I begin to talk more with the leader about how an accountability process might work and how it can…

1) Save time

2) Stop team conflict

3) Improve decision making

4) Make more money

5) Reduce a stalemate

and so forth, their eyes light up.  They get so excited.  I then say “So…tell me about how you feel about being the role model for an accountability process by giving your team permission to start calling you on your stuff?”  Guess what happens?  About 93% of the time, the … Read the rest of the post

1. 5 Steps for Improving Accountability on Your Team

So, today, I want to leave you with five things you can do…not tomorrow…not next week…but today to rebuild momentum so that your team (corporate, business, athletic, volunteer or family team) can become energized and get back to winning…at whatever game you are playing!

1) Provide structure and accountability.

Leaders often think that their teams need to just “do their own thing and get the job done.”  I have never seen this work.  Teams need structure…they need a dependable process to follow, and they need to be held accountable to that process.  Hmm…I wonder if Coach Roy Williams of the UNC Tarheels basketball team just let his team “do their own thing” this year.   I wonder if he said “Hey guys…just go play some basketball, and I’m headin’ over to Dairy Queen to get a soft serve cone…let me know how you did when I … Read the rest of the post

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