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Articles from Alan Dobzinski | Selfgrowth.com
- Less Stress With KAP's - Key Accountability Points - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2013 from Alan DobzinskiHave you heard the expression that "life is a journey, not a destination"? Well, when it comes to setting goals for your organization life is a journey on the way to a destination. Destination goals (such as revenue and staffing targets and other specific outcomes) are important, but you're ...
Views: 1084 - Step Away From It All and Watch What Happens - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2013 from Alan DobzinskiIn my last article, "Have You Uncovered Your Theme for 2013?" I gave you six steps you can take to uncover your theme for the year ahead. You can take these steps as an individual and also as a company or team. Let me tell you about something very powerful that happened to me just a few weeks ...
Views: 1039 - Have You Uncovered Your Theme For 2013? - by Submitted on Jan 04, 2013 from Alan DobzinskiAs we enter into the new year it's an excellent time to reflect on where you've been and where you're going. I recently went through this process with two different firms when I facilitated their offsite retreats. They had both asked me to help them create a theme for this year. For one of ...
Views: 978(2 votes) - Are You an NG? What May Be Natural to You Is a Stumbling Block to Some of Your People - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiMany leaders experience an accountability gap between what they want/expect to happen and what their people actually deliver. One way to close this gap is to recognize whether you as a leader are an NG. NG stands for "natural guy/gal" and it's someone who gets things done without knowing ...
Views: 904 - Asking Gets Better Results - by Submitted on Dec 07, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiDo these statements sound familiar? "I tell my people what to do, they don't do it and I don't understand why." "If only my people would be accountable and do what I tell them." I've heard this in conversation after conversation, the problem is "telling" does not help create much of an ...
Views: 1023 - 5 Principles to Shift From Enabling to Empowering - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiIn my last article, "What's the Difference between Empowering and Enabling?" we laid out the story of "Jeff" and the line at his door, everyday. And, everyday, Jeff was working until way into the evening while his people left at 5 or 5:30 and waved goodbye to Jeff. Imagine how that must ...
Views: 5142 - What's the Difference Between Empowering and Enabling? - by Submitted on Nov 09, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiAs a leader in your business, your job is to help each team member take personal responsibility for his or her behaviors, actions and results. Your responsibility is to guide and assist them in working toward their professional goals, and to help them eliminate the barriers to achieving those ...
Views: 1285 - Accountability: Lessons From a Baseball Coach - by Submitted on Nov 09, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiI don't remember his real name but I do remember that he had a big laugh and a huge passion for baseball and for kids. Maybe he was a house painter, or a plumber, or a bus driver. I don't know what he did when he wasn't with us. All I knew - and all I cared about - was that when someone asked ...
Views: 1739 - Kindness Works. Caring Pays Off. Love Becomes Profitable. - by Submitted on Oct 06, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiWhat's the opposite of command and control leadership? Caring. We're talking about simple human caring, and it's something all your people need if they're going to achieve the goals you want them to achieve. In a Fast Company article ("The CEO's New Clothes"), Linda Tischler maintains that ...
Views: 1246 - Accountability Issues? Leave It, Change It or Accept It - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiI recently came across the phrase, "Leave it, change it or accept it," and I've been using it successfully with my clients ever since. Let me tell you, I really get people's attention when I bring this up. In any situation in life, any situation, you always have three choices: 1. You can ...
Views: 2262 - Accountability Is As Easy As One-Two-Three - by Submitted on Jul 21, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiWhy is it so difficult to hold people accountable for their results in today's workplace? Because it requires follow-through and tough talk. Confrontation can be challenging, and some leaders avoid it at all costs. And it could be costing you plenty - in lost revenue, high turnover and people ...
Views: 1121 - Blasting the Barriers to Accountability - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiScheduling regular accountability meetings is an important tool for helping your people meet their business development goals and ensuring perpetual results for your firm. To make the most of these meetings, I suggest a step-by-step process called the C.L.E.A.R. Accountability Meeting Model, ...
Views: 1269 - A Clear Structure for Accountability Meetings - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiAs a managing partner or leader in a professional services firm, your role is to encourage, develop and coach people towards reaching the business development goals you've decided on together. A crucial part of that process is scheduling regular accountability meetings and using a system to ...
Views: 1611 - Accountability Keeps the Focus on Today - by Submitted on May 25, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiLet's say the financial goal of a professional services firm, such as a CPA firm or a law firm, is to bring in $1 million in new business. So the managing partner calls in those responsible for business development and says, "Okay, go get that $1 million!" Occasionally, the managing partner ...
Views: 1020 - Marrying Quick Actions With Accountable Results - by Submitted on May 18, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiAccountants sometimes tell me that I know them better than they know themselves. Well, I should! I spent five years working inside the consulting division of a regional accounting firm, experiencing firsthand how accountants handle business development. Many service professionals have at ...
Views: 929 - It's Not Raining Clients Anymore - by Submitted on May 13, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiUp until 2007 and 2008, it was raining clients in professional services firms like public accounting and legal firms. Then with the great recession of 2008, everything changed. All of a sudden we were seeing layoffs in law firms - something that was completely unheard of in the past. Law ...
Views: 1285 - Stop Blaming the Economy for Your Unproductive Business Development Habits - by Submitted on May 06, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiAre you blaming the economy for your business's lack of performance? I've got news for you: The economy has only exposed the real problems in your business, i.e., poor business development habits and lack of accountability. Here are the top 10 habits that could be responsible for the business ...
Views: 1199(2 votes) - If It Works, It Works - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiFive times a week I go to the trail to walk, hike and bike. It's my "third place" - the place where I go to think, reflect, plan and get my ideas flowing. In all the time I've been doing this, I've passed by a local business and noticed a sign outside announcing how long they've been in ...
Views: 1025 - The Hill Is Only As Steep As You Make It - by Submitted on Apr 20, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiHave you ever felt like your problems at work were a mountain you'd never be able to climb? What if that mountain was as easy to scale as a flat path? My recent experience on the hiking trail reminded me just how much power there is in the mindset we're in when we approach our challenges. Now ...
Views: 951 - Whose Goals Are They, Anyway? - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiShould the managing partner, CEO or leader set goals for the people on his or her team? Or should team members set their own goals? Your answer could tell me a lot about your leadership style. I could probably accurately predict how people respond to you, and even how accountable they ...
Views: 988 - Accountability With an Edge - Three Questions That Get People's Attention - by Submitted on Apr 07, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiWhen you're sitting down for a regularly scheduled accountability meeting with the people on your team, it helps to have some questions and phrases ready. Most of your questions will be open-ended, giving the other person plenty of time to express their concerns and opinions. Open-ended ...
Views: 1011 - The $750,000 Accountability Story - by Submitted on Apr 01, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiKeith was in his mid-50s, and was a managing partner in a large CPA firm. He'd gotten to that level because he was very good at business development - specifically, bringing in brand new clients. His partner group, on the other hand, were mainly in the 40s. They were all highly competent in ...
Views: 1082 - An Accountability Transformation Story - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiJosh was standing in the middle of a group of people at a networking function, when all of a sudden a light bulb of awareness went off. He saw how he always had to get a word in - his ego was out of control. He knew this was how he was behaving at work, also, where he was a managing partner. He ...
Views: 997 - How to Effectively Lead People Through Change - by Submitted on Mar 16, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiWhen an organization is going through change, its people must be supported, developed and coached through the process. When my client Dan contacted me, big changes were on the way for his company, including his department of 250 people and nine direct reports. There were going to be two big ...
Views: 1375 - Say More About That - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiThe role of a leader or managing partner is often to ask enough questions that people finally begin to listen to themselves and find their own solutions. While it's not technically a question, the phrase "say more about that" is just as evocative. It's an invitation that's almost impossible to ...
Views: 1022 - Making Requests - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiWhen you're creating an Upfront Agreement to design how you and your team members will work together, one item you may choose to include is "Making Requests." First, make sure you each have the same definition of the word: a request is just a request; it's not an order, dictate or command. ...
Views: 1083 - Personal Questions Lead to Professional Success - by Submitted on Feb 24, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiWhen you're holding regular accountability meetings with your people, it's natural for personal issues to come up. If you're still stuck in "leave your personal life at the door," thinking, get over it - that's old school, and will keep you stuck where you are now. If you want better results, ...
Views: 1135(2 votes) - Six Business Mantras for the Accountable Leader - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiAs I was reviewing my clients' progress from 2011, several sayings jumped to mind. Together, they sum up the important mindset shifts my clients had to make in order to move forward, improve their leadership skills and get better results from their people. Along with the essential principles ...
Views: 1217 - The 7 Essential Behaviors of Accountable Leaders - by Submitted on Feb 10, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiIf you want your people to be more accountable, start with making changes to your own behavior. When you care for and support the people who report to you, they will thrive and you will see more of results you're looking for. At the end of every quarter, I sit down with my clients for a ...
Views: 1172 - Ask, Tell and Get Down to Business - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiWhen you're the leader, CEO, managing partner or owner of an organization, I suggest making time in your schedule for regularly scheduled accountability meetings with your people. To really hold people accountable, you need to be in touch with them routinely and frequently. Regular meetings give ...
Views: 667 - When You Change Your Behavior, Accountability Begins - by Submitted on Jan 27, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiDo you ever let yourself daydream about how much better things could be at work? For example, let's look at what's behind Door Number One: Imagine that you come to work one day and there's nothing on your desk. There's nothing in your Inbox. No new emails. No one has made any new demands on ...
Views: 875 - The 48/24: A Tool for Accountability Meeting Success - by Submitted on Jan 20, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiOne of my executive coaching clients had successfully instituted regularly scheduled accountability meetings, but was struggling to keep track of all the details he discussed with his team members. That's when I introduced him to the Accountability Meeting Binder - one binder (or section of a ...
Views: 995 - The Accountability Meeting Binder - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiI was coaching an executive in a $4-billion company. He had read my book and now I was working with him one-on-on to teach him the accountability system. He told me that as a result of our work, he had started scheduling regular accountability meetings with all of his direct reports, but he was ...
Views: 1087 - Find Your Third Place - by Submitted on Jan 04, 2012 from Alan DobzinskiNow that it's a New Year, I've been thinking about how managing partners and leaders of organizations are so busy, busy, busy, doing, doing, doing, they don't take the time to think, plan and then act, which is my mantra for overbooked leaders. Think, plan and then act is a three-step ...
Views: 1150 - When a Boss Should Step Down and When an Employee Should Coach Up - by Submitted on Dec 27, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiPeople often ask me questions about workplace accountability. I figure if one person asks, more people are wondering, so I’ll be answering the questions on my blog so everyone can benefit. This time I’ll be answering two questions: Question: Your recent blog about Bobby the Idiot caught ...
Views: 1279 - 6 Steps to Uncover Your Theme For Next Year - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiAs one year winds down and another lies ahead, it's an excellent time to reflect on where you've been and where you're going. I recently went through this process with two different firms when I facilitated their offsite retreats. They had both asked me to help them create a theme for 2012. ...
Views: 1077 - Bill and the Shower Curtain - The $10 Obstacle to Accountability - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiIt's amazing how often we let simple things stop or block us from doing what we want to accomplish. But with some basic accountability practices, we can blast those obstacles right out of the way and make things happen. Even though it's been years since I worked with Bill, we had lunch the ...
Views: 953 - What Bobby the Idiot Can Teach You About Accountability - by Submitted on Dec 11, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiLeaders often ask me how to keep people accountable. The first thing we usually need to discuss is what accountability actually means - and it's usually different from what they think. Accountability is not about looking for someone to blame when things go wrong, or nailing that person to the ...
Views: 779 - Accountability With Love - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiToo often, in our business lives and our personal lives, people talk of love but do not even show respect. But the fact is that you do not have to love - or even like - someone to show them loving respect and hold them accountable. I wrote recently about how workplace accountability isn't ...
Views: 1215 - How an Upfront Agreement Promotes Mistakes AND Innovation - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiI often receive questions about accountability in the workplace. I figure if one person asks, several more are wondering the same thing. So I'll be addressing some of these questions in this and future articles. Question: "Alan, how can leaders hold employees accountable for their mistakes, ...
Views: 1112 - If You're Unclear, Nothing Else Matters - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiIf you're not satisfied with how your people are performing, maybe it's time to back up and check whether your expectations are clear. The fact is that even though you may assume your people are clear about their roles and responsibilities, often that's not the case. And if you, as the ...
Views: 1165 - The Art of Acknowledging - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiQuestion: What's the # 1 reason great people leave organizations? Answer: They don't leave organizations. They leave the managers who aren't showing appreciation for their contributions. That makes the art of acknowledgement one of the most important things you can do to retain and ...
Views: 943 - My Best Month Ever - by Submitted on Oct 26, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiLast month was a good month - great clients, fantastic engagements, excellent results. My business is thriving and I feel like I'm on top of the world. I would even say it was my best month ever. You're probably wondering what I did differently. Did I change my brand of coffee? Start a new ...
Views: 1007 - Make a Date With Accountability - by Submitted on Oct 24, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiEach time I end a stretch of accountability work with a client, I ask what they're taking away. For example, I ask about the most memorable things they learned, and where they saw the most growth. I recently had a final session with a client who's been with me for two years. He easily came up ...
Views: 960(1 vote) - Ground Rules for Productive Meetings - by Submitted on Oct 16, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiMeetings get a bad rap in the workplace these days, and rightfully so. Too often, meetings are unproductive, boring and a general waste of time. What’s the problem? The biggest issue is time. With executives and managers being so overbooked, meetings get cut short when they rush in from ...
Views: 1155(1 vote) - Are You Prepared for a Blowout on the Bike Trail - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiA few weeks ago, a friend and I were biking on a trail. Beautiful day, great ride, and then all of a sudden I heard this huge “pop!” - it sounded like a gun going off! Now, I’ve been biking trails for 15 years and I’ve never had a flat tire, never mind a blowout. I had no idea what it would ...
Views: 1048 - When You Hear No, Keep Going Strong - by Submitted on Sep 27, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiLeo was a sales rep for a furniture company. Every day, he would visit different stores to offer his products. He covered a huge geographical distance, but always visited the same places - as regular as clockwork. There was one particular store that always said, "No." They already had a ...
Views: 1168 - The Consequences of Being Overbooked - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiFrom the minute you come in the door, your workday calendar is filled - there are internal meetings, client meetings, project lists and other commitments. One leads right into the next, with no break in between. Sound familiar? You're overbooked! In today's culture, if you're not doing ...
Views: 1077 - What Accountability Is All About - by Submitted on Sep 11, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiPeople often ask me why regularly scheduled accountability meetings are so important. They struggle with the thought of adding one more thing to their crowded schedules. Although the meetings do take time, it's clear that skipping them costs even more because of the extra time needed to hire, ...
Views: 1061(1 vote) - The REAL Time Cost of Skipping Regular Accountability Meetings - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2011 from Alan DobzinskiInstead of focusing only on a task - "When will the ABC project be completed?" - an accountable leader also focuses on the person: "How are you doing with the ABC project? What sort of resources do you need? How can I support you?" Do you see the difference? Can you imagine how it feels to ...
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