Accountability Partners 3-2-1

Last time I brought up for consideration the subject of adding an accountability partner in addition to an accountability group to aid in achieving goals. This time let’s look at a way to keep the phone calls with your accountability partner short and on target. I like 15 minute phone calls... anything more and my ear starts to hurt, and I have other calls to make. Remember the goal of these phone calls with your accountability partner is to keep you on task toward fulfilling your goals. If you take five minutes and your accountability partner takes five minutes, then with a little chit-chat you’ll be done in 15 minutes.  

Keeping to 3-2-1 as a model will help you stay on schedule.

   3 - Accomplishments

   2 - Goals

   1 - More thing

 

Just like accountability groups the focus is on accomplishments from the last phone call and goals for next time. I like starting with what I accomplished; this helps keep things on a positive note. Tell your accountability partner what top three things you’ve accomplished. Even if you accomplished ten things of note, mention three. This is a quick report and you don’t want to use up your whole five minutes.

After accomplishments move on to your top two goals for today. Saying your goal, or the activity to bring about that goal, out loud to someone has real power to energize your day. Normally, you’ll have more than two things you want or need to accomplish that day, but stating the top two creates clarity in your day. This is also motivating for those things you are less than excited get started on. One of my least favorite, but most important tasks every day is 10 to 15 phone calls to contacts and prospects.

Then move on to one more thing.  This can really be anything you want your accountability partner to be aware of. I might mention something I’m excited about or grateful for. “I have a phone call today with Wendy and I’m looking forward to the progress she is making on her project.” After this one more thing, it’s time for your accountability partner to talk and for you to listen.

After your accountability partner is finished, it’s good to confirm your next phone call or face to face meeting. If you’re doing this in coordination with an accountability group, then you’ll be prepared to report your weekly successes and accomplishments to the group. This will reinforce your activity and efforts with your accountability partner. REMEMBER: This is a tool not a time consuming activity so a little chit-chat to start and to end the session is fine but keep it short and simple

How to build an Olympic Attitude

What can we learn from watching the Olympics? Especially if you’re a regular person without athletic talent, what do you share with Olympic athletes? You don't have to be an Olympian to have the same kind of attitude, but you do have to work hard, and believe:

Set goals regarding your performance

• Focus on what is doable first. Make phone calls to friends and other job seekers to build your confidence. Then make phone calls to new contacts using what you learned from your practice. Then schedule networking meeting to grow your network into your job.

Plan for the event (The Interview)

• Find triggers or common questions which will help you stay focused on your performance during the interview. Then rehearse and practice. Do what Olympic athletes do and visualize yourself going through the the interview.

Your performance does not define your self-worth  

• Separate your self-worth from your performance. Putting the two together puts enormous pressure on the event and and makes it difficult to do well. You are not your performance; you are always you regardless of the score at the end of the day.

Relive your Successes

• Use your success stories; visualize the events and achievements. Remember how you felt and thought. You have done fantastic things in your career. Refer back to your success stories often so that you relive the experience.

Dump your ego, you’re only human

• If not, you won't allow yourself to do things that make you look bad, and in the end, that avoidance will keep you from getting better. Human beings learn from mistakes by making changes--often little changes which lead to achievements.

Temporary disappointments are normal (Except for Cubs fans; then it’s not temporary)

• Nobody's perfect, stuff happens. Know that you will make mistakes and mess up the interview or meeting, but let them slide, and focus on the next one.

Laugh often and laugh out loud!

• When it gets hard... laugh. Dump the negative and find something to laugh about. As I always tell my clients and audiences: "If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!"

"How to build an Olympic Attitude" is inspired by Peter Haberl, United States Olympic Committee sports psychologist

New Year, New Career

Hey It’s a New Year

There are two kinds of people in the world... those who make New Year’s Resolutions and those that don’t. One might argue that there are a third kind, people who makes resolutions on January 1st and break them January 2nd. Regardless of which group you fit into, the New Year is a wonderful time to take stock on your career and where you’re going.

Vince Lombardi was famous for beginning the first day of football camp with the statement: Gentlemen, this is a football. Each new season he focused his team on the basics. I suggest this is a good strategy for us, regardless of where we are in our career journey. If you find that you’re 35 years old and haven’t be able to move out of front line management, or you’re 55 years old and hit the ceiling with your company, or you’re 45 years old and you have been looking for work for more than six months, it’s a good time to go back to basics.

Revisit your goals. Some goals are longer term than first considered. If you want a new job or a promotion and you’ve been working towards that for three, four or five months, now is a good time to sit down and review the goal, evaluating your progress and what still needs to be done. Then get to work.

Who can help. Making a move in your career isn’t a solo act. The other thing to realize is that there are people in your life who are willing to help you. You only need to ask for their assistance. It’s been an axiom pronounced by Success Gurus that if you desire success, surround yourself with successful people. Associate with people who have achieved what you would like to achieve because these folks are often in a position to assist you. I’ve found that when people are in a position to help someone, they are hurt or offended if the person fails to ask for their help.

Make some phone calls. It’s a new year, you can call everyone you know just to say Happy New Year. While you’re at it, go ahead and ask them if they know of anybody who could use a person with your skills and abilities. You can ask them if they have any contacts at any of your target companies. When they say yes, thank them and then call the new contacts you were just referred to.

Meet and Network with a lot of people. You can schedule a face to face network meeting with anyone you call who lives or works locally. The more networking meetings you have with folks, the more opportunities you’ll have to meet decision makers... and decision makers are in a better position to offer you a new job or promotion. It’s the new year... make it a successful new year!