Focus + Accountability = Growth

“Accountability separates the wishers in life from the action-takers that care enough about their future to account for their daily actions”
John Di Lemme

As another year begins, many professionals are focusing their efforts on setting new business goals, or perhaps re-evaluating existing ones.

Focusing on a task is easy; sustaining it over the longer term is not. Prolonged focus on the same issues can start to feel like routine, and routine often leads to boredom. When boredom sets in, attention drifts and a craving for something new, or more appealing, starts to grow.

This is the major reason why many businesses struggle with new business growth.

Focus brings results; long-term focus brings long-term results. And to achieve long-term results, you need to focus your efforts on the smallest number of key activities that will generate the best results.

Time Blocking
You cannot focus on everything; neither should you try. The secret is to block out time to carry out the key activities you have identified. This will give you short-term focus points, and allocate the necessary amount of time to each of them. Time blocking alone, however, won’t keep you focused over the longer term. This requires another solution….

Accountability

Accountability picks up where time blocking leaves off. Accountability will consistently empower you to focus and refocus continually. The best form of accountability is established through a relationship with someone who will follow a clear process to help refocus you regularly.

Accountability constantly shapes and reshapes your focus. It’s a learning loop to help you see clearly what you should be focusing on, and a feedback loop to prompt you to refocus whenever your attention slides.

It’s the most powerful tool top performers use to achieve big goals and long-term success.

You cannot do this effectively on your own; you must involve someone who will hold you accountable. An ‘outsider’ perspective will strip away your excuses so you can see your actions and results in a clear and honest way.

You should establish goals and numbers in three areas:

New business acquisition

Client retention

Client development

Professionals who do not establish, and keep track of, their goals and numbers will be extremely hard pressed to sustain high levels. Essential to achieving your goals and numbers is getting and using feedback, and you can do this using Clifton’s Five Step Accountability Process:

Set: New business, retention and client development goals

Focus: Create a plan for implementing your goals

Block out: Allocate time to do the key activities and task of your plan

Monitor – Measure your results against your plan

Review – Evaluate your progress and make adjustments (refocus) as required.

The more often you repeat this process, the better able you will be to maintain focus on the activities that yield the best results.

Nearly all top performers use someone to help keep them accountable. It might be a sales leader, director, owner, coach or consultant.

Frequency matters

If you’re a leader who is responsible for producers, you should hold everyone accountable. As a minimum, there should be a monthly review of activities and performance. For new professionals, establish a more rigorous weekly or bi-weekly schedule of review and accountability.

Accountability is a key component in the relationships of champions. It will build more effective habits across your business, drive growth and improve profits.

Time to get focused!

Focus + Accountability = Growth