Accountability – Your Business’ Biggest LoserFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 2009
Business success or failure I believe can be summed up in one word – accountability. It’s the single most important proprietary tool that we as Gazelles coaches [Mastering the Rockefeller Habits] bring to an organization and its leader.
NBC has a program called The Biggest Loser. I’ve watched it a number of times and perhaps the biggest surprise is how well all the contestants seem to do even after they get bounced from the show and don’t have the strict regiment and help from the shows routine and coaches.
Why do these participants still lose weight after leaving the show and the disciplines from that environment? I believe there are several reasons, starting with the education they receive, the coaching, and the habits they acquire. It takes 21 days to establish a habit. Most are able to sustain their weight loss habit by having met or exceeded this 21 day requirement .
What I believe is the dramatic determinant in achieving results is the subsequent follow up and scrutiny they know will be required to provide after they leave the show. In a single word it is accountability. If you knew your life was being watched and analyzed by others how would you behave? Think of the pressure they experience, knowing that millions are following their progress. Would it make a difference in how you would perform?
Even Wall Street responds negatively to a lack of responsibility. Look at the response the market has had ever since the bail outs have been announced. There’s something about a lack of accountability that intuitively we as human beings know is wrong.
Do you wonder why almost all criminals eventually get caught, and why irresponsible behavior leads to all sorts of physical and mental health problems?
How accountable are the people in your business? Do you have clearly defined job descriptions? More importantly is there some level of scoring that lets your employees know on a daily basis how they are doing?
If you’re a parent you’ve probably witnessed you sons or daughters behavior when you ask them to do a more challenging task. They may whine and complain and wiggle to get out of it, yet once they complete it, have you noticed how good they feel and act about what they accomplished?
If you are looking for a common ingredient to ensure success in your business than you need to recognize the critical value that driving accountability into every level of your business brings to achieving extraordinary results. Your business needs metrics that report your progress and your people need measurements that tell them how well they are doing to achieve their expected results and how those outcomes contribute to the success of your business.
The biggest loser in your business without that accountability is you.
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