Left to their own devices most business teams will take the path of least resistance.  And why not?  There is so much to do and get done.  The urgencies and demands of work can be overwhelming for even the best of teams.  Surely, lots of good intentions will make up for poor results, right?    I mean, who can blame a team that really wants to achieve their most important annual goals but is just too busy with the urgencies of the day to focus on the truly important results for tomorrow?

 That’s where a committed CEO comes in.  The wisest of the wise will make sure that any strategic planning effort will not only produce a great plan but focus performance for making it a reality.  They realize this fundamental principle - where there is no accountability, there is no performance. 

 If you want to make sure your business succeeds this year don’t just create a strategically focused plan, create an accountability system to go with it.  Make sure you’re its #1 accountability champion.  As CEO, if you really believe and practice accountability with yourself and your direct reports you’ll get the kind of performance that will bring you outstanding bottom line results. 

 It’s been my experience that though teams acknowledge the power of accountability they need that accountaiblity partner (you) to practice it.  There’s something about having to report in on a specific date that causes action to take place and results to appear.   

Be the wisest of the wise CEOs and hold those regularly scheduled one-on-one review sessions monthly or at least quarterly.   Your direct reports want the discipline, recognition and know-how you can provide.   

 Want results?  Activate your accountability system today! 

Want to know the #1 principle for getting things done?  Here you go…visibility.   Seem a little too simplistic?  It is very simple and yet it’s the reason most business owners and managers have such a tough time achieving their priorities.  It’s reflected in one of my favorite sayings, ”Out of sight, out of mind” - it’s that simple.

December and January are traditionally my busiest times of the year.  Everyone wants to do their annual planning for the new year.  My clients spend countless hours thinking, analyzing, planning and meeting with their teams to craft just the right plan that will make the new year their best ever.  I salute their efforts and truly enjoy facilitating them in this process.  The plans they produce can be considered works of art because so much polishing and refining goes into their creation.  They are definitely something in which to be proud.

 Then comes the test, the real work.  Getting it done.  Execution, implementation, achievement, results!  That’s why they go through all  this in the first place.  After watching a myriad of clients tackle this process year after year I still find visibilty to be the key to their success. 

Those that view their one page business plans once a week ALWAYS achieve more than those who look at it once a month (usually moments before I show up for their monthly business review.)  But even those who view it once a month achieve more than those who only view it once a quarter or once a year.  It’s a law of nature.  In sight, in mind and in focus with what’s going to be worked on this week, quarter or month. 

My personal regimen, and the one I recommend to you, is to site down once a week and review your upcoming week.  I do this without fail.  At the same time I refer to my one page annual business plan and remind myself of my priorities.  With my priorities fresh in my mind I ask myself, “What can I do this week to support and eventually achieve my annual plan?”  What comes to mind I write down and make it a part of my weekly plan.  And yes, I do review my weekly plan daily.  It’s constantly in front of me in written form.  I don’t bury it behind multiple windows on my computer.  My paper planner is open to my weekly plan and is stationed in the upper left hand corner of my work space.  It’s in full view.  And when I achieve something from that plan I write it on the back of my plan as an accomplishment.  That way, at the end of the week, I can see and celebrate all that I’ve done.  Gosh that feels good!

If you don’t keep your priorities visible your brain with take the path of least resistance and allow you to forget they exist.  We all have so much going on that I think our brain takes pity and mercifully helps us to put things out of  mind.  That’s not such a bad idea when it comes to the minutia we have going on in our work and lives.  But, when it comes to our most important priorities you don’t want your brain going into delete mode. 

The more we visibly remind our brains that something is a priority the more it becomes part of our internal focus.  As we all know, our internal focus will eventually manifest itself as our external focus and reality.  What we focus on get’s done.  Without weekly visibility our focus remains nothing but written words on a plan.  Visibility is the principle that stages our minds to take action and turn the words on our plan into reality.    And that, feels really good!