Top Performance Means Self-accountability

Our top performance as a leader is the result of doing what we say we will do, 100% of the time.  Good leaders lead themselves first.  Doing what you say you’re going to do 100% of the time comes from a deep commitment to do your best every day.  It must be authentic and consistent.  Therefore, it’s not something that you can mandate in others and it happens.  When we get frustrated that others are not delivering, we need to look at our own hit rates first.  

If we’re honest, some of us are really good at doing what we say we’re going to do, [Say=Do], for our Boss.  Yet we have poor rates of say=do with others whom we think are not part of what really matters.  Good leaders have and need 100% delivery to all they make their promises to, no exceptions!

A big benefit is that our Personal Brand soars as does our influence.  It boosts our self-confidence because there is alignment between doing the right thing and our actual performance. 

We get our say=do up, through personal commitment and a systematic review of our promises. 

The System

Here is my say=do system I use both daily and weekly, to very good effect.

It’s an efficient 10 minute review at the end of the work day.

Firstly I review whether I have set meaningful 1 to 3 ‘big rocks’ (as Stephen Covey says), those things that really matter.  Also, what things helped and hindered, and what I am going to do/say/be ‘more of and less of’, when setting my big rocks.

Secondly I then cast my eye over my daily journal, how it actually panned out, and then review my actions and time spent.  Realisations emerge: e.g. I need to get real and to set an appointment with myself to honour a big rock I’ve been putting off.  I realise how I meet others’ ‘urgent’ needs leaving mine till last.  These realisations feed into my future plans.  

Thirdly, for balance, I review, ‘What I Have Learned’ that I can take forward.  That is, what Exercise and what Relaxation I made time for, and, whether that amount is ‘enough’.  Finally, I then go back to my ‘big rocks’, and based on what I have learned today, fine-tune tomorrow’s ‘big rocks’.

Impacts

The Impacts I have noticed:

  • It gets me to think about the What Really Matters (the W.R.M.).  Consequently I am keenly aware that what I spend my time and energy (physical, mental) on, really counts.  
  • Big rocks are broken down into sizeable chunks and have realistic timeframes. 
  • I promise less and deliver more on the W.R.M.
  • My promises are now within my ‘circle of control’ (Stephen Covey).

For Extroverts, it can be a useful ritual to buddy-up with a trusted colleague, and have an honest Say=Do conversation.

A big benefit is that my self-confidence has naturally increased as has my overall performance.  There is a definite increase in alignment between doing the right thing and my actual performance.