by Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE
Five Accountabilities to Help
You Achieve Your Goals In the New Year
To kick off the New Year, I wanted to write something less about business and more about
personal development.
Did you make any New Year resolutions? It is still not too late to do so – or to add one more. That
is to be “accountable.”
Some people have said that the best thing about 2009 is that it is finally over. Others celebrated
the year as they found ways to prosper in spite of the recession. What’s the difference in these two
mindsets? According to my friend Sam Silverstein, author of the recently released book, No More
Excuses, it is accountability.
There are consequences, good and/or bad, for everything we do and the way we think. I thought a
great way to kick off the New Year would be to share with you Sam’s five areas of accountability
which can turn potentially negative consequences into your competitive advantage.
Right things: Be accountable for doing the right things consistently. Simply put, know what
activities will help you achieve your strategic intent and focus daily on those endeavors.
New space: Be accountable for managing your space for new opportunities. Look for
opportunities and alternatives that take you out of your comfort zone. Yes, this is a risk, but the
return can be very high.
Process: Be accountable for managing the process when you hit an obstacle. It is inevitable that
you will encounter adversities and setbacks when you pursue your goals. So, how will you deal
with them? You must accept them, own them and deal with them – because they are yours.
Expectations: Be accountable for establishing the right personal expectations, also known as
goals. Setting expectations/goals too low means you will underachieve. Setting them too high can
lead to frustration, which could cause you to make bad choices. Take time to think them through.
The targets you set for yourself will have a huge impact on your actual achievement.
Relationships: Be accountable for your relationships. Contribute to them. When we give help to
others, many times personal gain naturally follows. I’m reminded of what Zig Ziglar used to say.
“If you help enough others get what they want, you will get what you want.” Some call this the Law
of Reciprocity.
My take on accountability is that we don’t blame others for what happens to us. We own our
experiences and have control over how we feel and deal with them. It’s not about what happens to
you. It is how you respond or react to it. You own it. It’s yours. No excuses – which is why Sam
Silverstein’s new book is titled, No More Excuses.
Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. As a
professional speaker and author, Shep works with companies who want to develop loyal
relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking
presentations, including his customer service speaking programs, books, tapes and learning
programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com Web: www.hyken.com
Copyright ©2010 by Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE and Shepard Presentations, LLC
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Return to list of Shepard Letter articles.
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Five Accountabilities to Help
You Achieve Your Goals In the New Year
To kick off the New Year, I wanted to write something less about business and more about
personal development.
Did you make any New Year resolutions? It is still not too late to do so – or to add one more. That
is to be “accountable.”
Some people have said that the best thing about 2009 is that it is finally over. Others celebrated
the year as they found ways to prosper in spite of the recession. What’s the difference in these two
mindsets? According to my friend Sam Silverstein, author of the recently released book, No More
Excuses, it is accountability.
There are consequences, good and/or bad, for everything we do and the way we think. I thought a
great way to kick off the New Year would be to share with you Sam’s five areas of accountability
which can turn potentially negative consequences into your competitive advantage.
Right things: Be accountable for doing the right things consistently. Simply put, know what
activities will help you achieve your strategic intent and focus daily on those endeavors.
New space: Be accountable for managing your space for new opportunities. Look for
opportunities and alternatives that take you out of your comfort zone. Yes, this is a risk, but the
return can be very high.
Process: Be accountable for managing the process when you hit an obstacle. It is inevitable that
you will encounter adversities and setbacks when you pursue your goals. So, how will you deal
with them? You must accept them, own them and deal with them – because they are yours.
Expectations: Be accountable for establishing the right personal expectations, also known as
goals. Setting expectations/goals too low means you will underachieve. Setting them too high can
lead to frustration, which could cause you to make bad choices. Take time to think them through.
The targets you set for yourself will have a huge impact on your actual achievement.
Relationships: Be accountable for your relationships. Contribute to them. When we give help to
others, many times personal gain naturally follows. I’m reminded of what Zig Ziglar used to say.
“If you help enough others get what they want, you will get what you want.” Some call this the Law
of Reciprocity.
My take on accountability is that we don’t blame others for what happens to us. We own our
experiences and have control over how we feel and deal with them. It’s not about what happens to
you. It is how you respond or react to it. You own it. It’s yours. No excuses – which is why Sam
Silverstein’s new book is titled, No More Excuses.
Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. As a
professional speaker and author, Shep works with companies who want to develop loyal
relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking
presentations, including his customer service speaking programs, books, tapes and learning
programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com Web: www.hyken.com
Copyright ©2010 by Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE and Shepard Presentations, LLC
Go to next article
Subscribe to The Shepard Letter
Return to list of Shepard Letter articles.
Return to Home Page.
Send a comment, give feedback or ask a question
JPEG photo for your use. Shep Hyken Shepard Presentations 711 Old Ballas Road Suite 215 St. Louis, MO 63141 (314) 692-2200 shep@hyken.com www.Hyken.com |
| Shep Hyken Customer service speaker and expert providing programs on amazing customer service, customer loyalty, internal service and more. |
