Jabez LeBret’s Exclusive Interview with -
George Joyce – EandE Life “The Coaches Coach”
The biggest question I have today is: articles ddee
“What is one simple business practice that can immediately increase my business and help me create and capitalize on opportunities?”
Be accountable. Most of us know what we need to do to be successful; it’s just a matter of DOING it. In some cases, we may have to find ways to MAKE ourselves do it. Thomas Merton wrote, “Self-conquest is self-surrender.” By finally admitting that YOU are the biggest “problem” in your own business, you can start the process of setting up your life and work so that you win.
“Self-conquest, I like the sound of that. Can you expand on what that looks like?”
The conquest comes from admission: “I can’t do it by myself, I need help in getting things done and, last, I need help determining what’s most important to me because I am NOT getting those things accomplished to my satisfaction.”
“So I should start by admitting when I am not accomplishing things. Am I doing this all wrong?”
You are, for better or worse, not unlike most people. We all need systems in place to accomplish much of what we’d like to do. It supports us, holds us accountable, helps us prioritize, and sometimes forces us to do what we can’t seem to do “naturally.”
It’s much easier than you think to make happen what you SAY you want or need to do. Take the following statistics from the “Leadership Essentials” management course done in the 90s. These are “The Odds We Will Do What We Say”:
• When I say “I will do it” … 10% chance of happening
• When I say with commitment, “I will do it” … 10%
• When we set a date: “I will do it by this time/day” … 20%
• When we know how to do it … 40%
• We know how AND we set a date … 50%
• We tell one other person our plan … 80%
• We tell others about our plan …90%
• We work with an integrated team … 95%
“This sounds good, but what is an example of this in real life?”
If you want to go to the gym at 7AM each weekday, and you have no experience making that happen, then even if you say with commitment “I’m going to do it,” the chances are slim. But if you tell another person and have him/her either meet you there then you have both said “I’m going to do it,” and you have to show up because there’s a consequence if you don’t. It’s EIGHT TIMES more likely to happen. Why? Accountability. If you want to practically guarantee something will happen, then get a team of people to be accountable.
“I tend to avoid doing this. For some reason it makes me nervous telling people what I want to accomplish, especially when it comes to building my business.”
Most of us avoid being accountable. There’s fear of being seen as a flake, or concern for not looking good. Maybe it’s discomfort with being or feeling blamed. Whatever, unless you’re making choices to SAY what you’re going to do — and there’s some consequence if you DON’T — then you’ll continue on your merry way wondering why the wealth and happiness that others enjoy aren’t yours.
“How can I best collaborate towards my goals as an individual coach and business owner while still adding value to the other business owner?”
It’s simple: get a person or a team of people and enroll them in whatever you want to accomplish. Set up some consequence: “If I don’t get this done by X time, then I have to volunteer one day at the local homeless shelter.” It doesn’t have to be a horrible consequence; let it be something of your own choosing that you know will work. With a colleague of mine, I said I’d send her to Hawaii if I didn’t get a project finished and to her in time. She was at once glad I was specific with her AND was hoping for a free trip to the islands! I got it done on time.
Being accountable doesn’t have to be hard or filled with fear of blame. It’s often a matter of being creative. And you’ve got to practice being disciplined in terms of actually doing what you say. Your word then has real power with people; more importantly, you will trust yourself. You will KNOW that when you say something it will likely happen. If not, you’ll know what to do to make it so.
“What does this mean in the long run for my coaching business?”
The next time any opportunity comes your way that you KNOW will make a difference in making more money for your business, practice with this tool.
1) Create an outcome: “I will complete X by this time/date.”
2) Contact a friend or colleague (preferably more than one), and tell them what you’re going to do and by when.
3) Then tell them what you’ll do as a consequence if you DON’T do it by then. You’ll see how, when you create systems that MAKE you prioritize, you can then surrender and trust things will happen. The more you practice, the better you get at it.
Notice where there are systems and consequences missing, then get busy implementing. Do it imperfectly at first; it’s the first time you’ve likely done something like this. The better you get, the more amazing things happen in your business — and your life.
“Thank you George, this is really helpful in both understanding how to build my own accountability and help my fellow coaches at the same time! Thanks again.”
It’s been a pleasure.
Great interview. I agree with all points ans also experience the reluctance to share too much of my plans with peers. This partly to avoid accountability or ridicule and partly from fear that my ideas will be copied and run with before I can take action.
Another reason to have a regular accountability/support peer session. If there is enough for everyone then there is plenty for me.
Very interesting stats and reading. All the more reason it pays to work in teams, even if your team is there to listen and hear your goals and desires.