Holding Yourself and Your Team Accountable To Meet Your Business Goals
February 20, 2020
What does accountability mean to you? What does it mean for your business? In my opinion, accountability is accepting responsibility for your role within the company, and accomplishing what is expected of you as part of the team. Once the expectations have been set, it’s imperative that you stick to them – not just when it’s convenient. In order to reach your business goals, consistency is key.
How I’m Held Accountable
Each business is different. There are different roles, responsibilities, and tasks that need to be completed for the business to be successful. Here at Ellen Grace, I am accountable for a number of responsibilities. My team is counting on me to execute and follow through so we can achieve our business goals as a team.
For example…
Weekly:
- QuickBooks- Banking, Invoicing and Internal Reporting
- Client Coordination- Future Campaigns, Website Updates, Reporting
- Client Content Review- Blogs, Emails and Social Media posts
- Weekly Management Meeting- Where we cover such topics as current sales results, sales pipeline/projections & sales drivers, gross margin and profitability, marketing, social posts, service adjustments, client details, accounting, etc.
Monthly and Quarterly:
- P&L Review- A detailed summary and explanation of the previous month/quarter and YTD Financials for the business (across major lines of Sales, Gross Margin, Expenses and Net Profit).
- QuickBooks- Reconciling Accounts
Annually
- Building Annual Strategic Initiatives
- Creating a Sales Forecast, by Month, by Channel
If I skip, delay, or only partially complete a task mentioned above, I am not upholding my end of the deal. I would be letting my team down and risk missing our business goals because of my inability to be accountable for my responsibilities within the company. As such, I pride myself on competing things on time, every time, and to the best of my ability.
Whether You Are The CEO or The Intern – The Level of Accountability Is The Same
Accountability for your deliverables applies to everyone, including those that report to you and the people you mentor, as well as those that you report to. To keep everyone on the same page, it’s critical that you set clear expectations. When there is a lack of execution from one of your team members, it typically stems from them not fully understanding what is expected or not knowing and understanding why the business is doing something in a particular way. To help keep everyone accountable for their piece, both should be very clear.
There are a number of ways businesses hold their teams accountable. Whether you use technology, weekly meetings, or a giant whiteboard, it’s important that people know where they stand. Make sure your team is comfortable enough to report problems and ask for help if they need it. It’s important that you stay diligent in completing your responsibilities to serve as an example to your team. Once things become lax, it can be easy for everyone to fall behind.
Welcoming Feedback
If an issue or a challenge is brought to your attention, the first thing you’ll want to do is to ask the team member for their input on how to solve the particular problem. Since they are the one performing the task, they are likely to have the best insight on how things should be resolved. Making them a part of the solution will help to empower them and build trust. Everyone wants to feel as if their opinion genuinely matters. Embrace your mistakes and view them as an opportunity for improvement. Make touching base with your team a regular thing to ensure everyone is staying on track and has the tools and resources to complete what is expected of them.
If you’re not holding everyone accountable, including yourself, then you’re doing a disservice to them as well as the company. Do you feel that you have clear expectations for everyone in your business? How will you hold yourself and your team accountable for your business goals in 2020?
