What is the point of setting targets if you don’t hold people accountable to achieving them? I put this to one of my clients recently because it was evident that whilst his sales team had been set clear targets, in 5 out of 9 months they had not hit them. The interesting thing was that overall they were both quite close to their total year to date budget, having had a couple of really good months to help offset the bad ones. So, you might say, does it really matter?

Well in my opinion I think it does for a number of reasons. First, and perhaps the most practical reason, is that it can and had caused some quite serious issues with cash flow. Secondly, it potentially leads to complacency and even laziness from the sales team, because if they secure a couple of big contracts from time to time, in theory it can lead them to coast along for the rest of the year. Lastly it comes back to one of my pet favourites, being that because they have not been held to their monthly targets and there have not been any negative consequences to them for missing budgets over 50% of the time, there is a risk that lethargy will creep in, and the sales team will start to think that no-one really cares what they achieve, good or bad. Once that attitude starts to encroach, then you are on a slippery slope to encouraging mediocrity, which can be hard to turn around.

As I will have said on many occasions it is essential to set targets in all aspects of the business, but once you have done so don’t neglect to follow them up and hold people to them. Be it sales, maintaining stock levels, productivity, customer service or anything else make sure you hold your team responsible and accountable. That way they will know you care, and results are far more likely to keep on improving throughout your business.

One of my clients was up for a “Business Person of the Year” award last week.

He had made it through to a short list of three, and we were very hopeful that he would win the award. However, sadly it was not to be, and we headed home from the ceremony a little downcast.

There wasn’t really any need to feel despondent, as he had done fantastically well to get to the final, and of course all the things he has achieved for himself, his team and his business are still in place, and therefore there is a still lot to be proud of.

You can react in many ways to disappointment. You can get down about it, and you can wallow in it for as long as you please, or you can take the momentary feeling of having failed at something, and then bounce back all the stronger and more determined.

As it happened I had a meeting scheduled for two days after the ceremony with this client, and as I would expect he was in the latter camp. Certainly disappointed that he had not won, but all the more fired up to win it next year, but furthermore push himself and his business forward with even greater drive and enthusiasm.

He was kind enough to recognise that I had helped in the process to get him to where he was, but equally well he wanted me to hold him more accountable, and set tougher and tighter deadlines to ensure that he would achieve his end goals even quicker than originally planned.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, as the people I work with tend to have this kind of attitude, but it is very gratifying to know that they do appreciate the coach’s role, and recognise the benefits it can bring. I love to see people get what they want and what they deserve from their efforts, and I would happily help many more. Do if you would like to reap the rewards of your hard work, why not give me a call.

I have a wide range of clients, in many different business sectors, different sizes, and at different stages of development. When I start working with a client I tend to see them regularly, at least once every 3 to 4 weeks, but over time my clients may feel they don’t need quite such intense input, and tend to spread my visits out more. Initially perhaps to once every 6-8 weeks, and then once every quarter, or possibly even twice a year. However even when I am only seeing them at such intervals I still find that there is real value to be given, as invariably some aspects have slipped.

More often than not this is on the numbers side, where cash flows have been neglected, and the actual figures are no longer being entered into the spreadsheet, to see how they are faring against their forecast. As a result of this the business owners are often unable to answer my questions, and things come to light which have been swept under the carpet, or simply ignored. Sometimes this brings to light some unprofitable areas of the business, sometimes it can highlight changes in the break-even figure, but it always reminds them of the importance of keeping in control of the numbers.

Of course it isn’t always the numbers, sometimes it is the business owners being sucked back into doing too many tasks which should be delegated, so they are being overstretched. Sometimes it is allowing team members to get away with things, thereby breaking the “rules of the game”, and potentially causing disharmony in the team.

The point is that even though these successful business owners have thriving businesses, they will almost always keep benefiting from someone to challenge them and hold them accountable. In other words a coach isn’t just for Christmas……!

From time to time I have cause to rethink exactly what coaching is all about and invariably it is a useful exercise to carry out.

The trigger this time was from someone who had agreed that he would benefit from the coaching programme, and then subsequently spoke to colleagues from his industry who immediately assured him that he shouldn’t “waste” his money on me, when they could easily help and advise him anyway.

Naturally the opportunity to avoid spending money is quite an incentive, and so he cancelled our first meeting. However I have spoken to him since, and explained what it is he will get from me, but not from these well-meaning friends.

Yes, no doubt they will be able to point him in the right direction, yes they may be able to put business his way, and yes they will be able to offer positive and probably good advice in many areas. But what they won’t do is work with him over a sustained period, holding him accountable, and making sure he actually does the things they have advised him to do. It is not unusual for my clients to not carry out the actions we agree that they should do, sometimes because they aren’t really sure how to, sometimes because they are too busy doing things they shouldn’t be involved in, but the key is that I won’t let them off the hook until they have done what they know is going to help. Friends or colleagues will make suggestions and offer ideas, but if he doesn’t carry them out they won’t be chasing him!

Furthermore, as a coach, I am working with them to create a business that works without them, and their friends are invariably nowhere near the situation. They won’t have asked him he wants out of life, so their advice will be based on their own goals and beliefs, not his.

So by all means listen to the kind advice which friends or colleagues may offer, but don’t confuse this with the benefits that a business coach will bring you. Meaningful and permanent change for the better.

I know in the past I have commented on the importance of living in “the now”, and I believe that even more strongly the more I hear and see the way people (particularly younger people) behave nowadays.

What I mean by this is the constant need for people to be checking up on what other friends or even acquaintances are doing, rather than concentrating on their own lives and happiness. Social media can of course be a force for good, and gives many people a lot of pleasure, but I often wonder, having recently spent a few days in Norfolk with my daughter and some of her friends, whether they actually notice what is going on around them, and enjoy all the good things they have and do. As a result they also spend huge amounts of time taking photos of themselves to prove to others that they are happy and having even more fun than any one else.

This desperate need for acceptance worries me, and seems to become almost an obsession for many. Various artistes have also expressed a concern about this when fans turn up to their play or concert and film it all rather than actually watch it and experience it (presumably to send to others at a later date).

This takes me on to a phrase which again I have used before, “Why should I care what other people think of me?” If I am genuinely happy and content with myself, I don’t need to tell others, and people inherently know anyway.

Taking this to a business level, stop worrying about what others think, and start living your life for you. Set your goals, set a path to achieve these goals, and make sure you enjoy the journey.