You’re Fired!

Who do you hold accountable for achieving your goals? Shouldn’t you be holding yourself accountable?

You have probably succeeded in building a network of people, who are held accountable, around you that can support you in reaching your goals.  It is an extremely important asset to have if you are serious about achieving your goals.  However, there is only one person who has the most to gain or lose. This is the person that accepts the ultimate responsibility. It’s YOU! 

You need to take responsibility for your actions, decision-making, and job performance. How well do you do your job? When was the last time you evaluated your own performance?  Consider asking yourself: If I were to interview myself for my position, would I get hired?  Have I been meeting my own goals or have I been depending on others to meet my goals for me? 

In other words, fire yourself and see if you can get rehired.

You might think that being the owner automatically qualifies you as its leader. You need to prove your leadership title through actions that reflect your objectives or goals. Stated plainly, don’t just say it; do it! Put your words into action. 

As an owner, you need to communicate your company goals to your employees—and show them how you are working together with them to achieve these goals. You must hold them accountable for the way they perform, and in the same way, you need to hold yourself accountable for the way that you perform.

Here’s how you get started. Begin by setting yourself a goal. Write it down and be specific. Good examples are, “I shall generate six service calls per working day this month. The average ticket shall be $375. My monthly revenue will be at least $47,250.”  Once you set the goal, set a deadline. Hold yourself accountable. 

Making arrangements to wake up earlier and exercise at the gym before getting to work is an example of a personal goal. A professional goal would be developing a detailed direct-mail-advertisement campaign. You can assign some responsibilities to your CSR and some to yourself. Make sure to monitor your results. Spell it out in detail, and keep things as simple as possible. Then, make it happen! 

The more you “pass on” to others, the more you keep for yourself.  People pay more attention to what you do than what you say.