Navigating New Year’s Resolutions: The Transformative Power of Accountability in Business

Navigating New Year's Resolutions: The Transformative Power of Accountability in Business

As the calendar turns to a new year, the air is thick with resolutions and promises for positive change. We’ve all been there—setting ambitious goals with unwavering determination, only to find ourselves straying from the path we know we need to take  by the end of the first week of January. It’s a common cycle, and one that happens in business as well as in our personal lives.

Many businesses falter not because of a lack of vision but due to the absence of a critical element: accountability. In this journey toward business success, I, as your business coach, stand as the advocate for accountability, the unwavering force that transforms resolutions into tangible achievements.

In this blog I outline why accountability is vital if you want to achieve your business goals and I’ll leave you with three ways being accountable can help your business.

The Resilience of New Year’s Resolutions

The allure of New Year’s resolutions is undeniable. We set them with the best of intentions, convinced that this year will be different. Yet, more often than not, our initial enthusiasm gives way to the relentless demands of daily life, and our resolutions slip through the cracks. It’s a situation not limited to our personal aspirations; businesses, too, grapple with the challenge of translating vision into action.

The Pitfall of Unaccountability

The harsh reality is that many businesses fall short of their true potential because we, the Captains steering the ship, aren’t held accountable for the promises we make to ourselves and our organisations. Just as personal resolutions fizzle out without any accountability, businesses can stagnate in the absence of a structured and consistent accountability framework.

The Benefits of Accountability

At a personal level we may have a fitness coach to keep us focused on those actions that help us achieve goals we have set ourselves.  In business we need someone independent of our business, with no emotional attachment, i.e. no axe to grind, they just want the business and you, the business owner to do well.

Accountability in business means making sure that those tasks that need to get done, do actually get done.

A few examples might be –

• Making that phone call that keeps getting put off,
• Reviewing and updating those processes that you know are well out of date,
• Looking at why so many products get sent back by customers
• Better organisation of your time

So why didn’t we just do the tasks in the first place? –

Answer, because we don’t like the idea of any potential confrontation, or we would rather be doing something else we actually enjoy.  Sound familiar?

Now accountability doesn’t actually mean, that you, the Business Owner has to carry out the tasks personally.  Rather that you ensure that someone does the tasks, because your business needs for them to be done.  The members of your team are then accountable to you for delivery.

As you grow your businesses, don’t allow yourself to not achieve the results you aim for through a lack of accountability. Embracing accountability is not a sign of weakness but a commitment to transformative growth.

You have heard, I am sure, the stories around top sports people becoming even better because they have a coach, the same applies to top business people.  You could be thinking ‘I’m doing ok thanks’ and that’s great.  However, if you are doing ok on your own, think how much better you and your business could be with that accountability partner.

I would challenge you; in that you do sometimes let yourself off the hook and then there is always that niggle.

Lastly, I invite you to reflect on the resolutions/goals you’ve set for your business this year. If the path seems daunting, the challenges insurmountable, remember that you don’t have to navigate it alone. As a business coach, my commitment is to be your partner in success, providing the support and accountability needed to turn aspirations into reality. Discover the stories  of businesses that have flourished under my guidance and let’s start on a collaborative journey towards realising the full potential of your business. Book a 121 with me and together, let’s make this year a testament to the power of accountability and unprecedented growth.