Author Archives: Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

6 Simple Ways to Strengthen Your Strategic Thinking Muscles

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Running a growing enterprise often provides little time for strategic thinking. In fact, according to The Persimmon Group and Center for Creative Leadership, only 4-7% of business leaders are considered strategic thinkers. If you’re one of the lucky ones, good for you!

Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs are consumed by day-to-day operations. So instead of settling into their favorite spot for deep thinking, most collapse at the end of a demanding day.

Although the struggle to find time for strategic thinking is a reality, it remains a vital business skill.

No Time for Thinking?

There are several underlying reasons for the inability to find time for strategic thinking.

For instance, your business model may not work as well as planned. Or perhaps your business model has become obsolete.

For some business owners, their service is underpriced. Sadly, underpricing can lead to over-commitment to meet your financial obligations.

Equally important is delegating to your team and trusting them to deliver.

Although each of these adds to the challenge of having time to master strategic thinking, all is not lost!

Strengthen Your Strategic Muscles in the Cracks of Time

“Cracks of time” are found while waiting for a Zoom meeting to begin. Or when stuck in traffic or waiting in line at Starbucks. So rather than wrapping yourself around the angst of the wait, use this time to sharpen your thinking.

Here are a few ways to get started:

1. Reflect during “Wasted” Time (Daily): Wasted time is the moments not being spent productively. Examples include jumping from one task to another, being irritated by things you can’t control, or scrolling through social media to combat fatigue.

Instead, reflect on what you can do differently to avoid unproductive, costly time at the end of each day.

2. Consider Egocentrism (Daily): Personal bias and egocentrism keep us from seeing beyond self-favor.

While planning your day consider how your bias might be getting in the way of achieving your goals. Then, ask yourself, “what would a rational person with no emotional bias do in your situation?” Hmmm!

3. Solve a Problem (Daily): Make traffic work for you. Use your drive time for reflection and problem-solving. Focus on a problem with a solution rather than waste time (See #1) thinking about things beyond your control. And consider your options for action in the short-term and long-term.

4. Focus on Intellectual Standards (Weekly): The Universal Intellectual Standards defined by the Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Model (Paul and Elder, 2001) include:

Clarity
Precision
Accuracy
Relevance
Depth
Breadth
Logical
Significance
Fairness
Sufficiency

Each week, select a focus to improve one of these areas.

For instance, consider glitches, typos, missteps, and do-overs during accuracy week. In addition, ask questions related to your accuracy, such as, “Did I spell check?” or “Am I communicating instructions clearly for the reader?”

Also, consider reading up on the subject to move you beyond your immediate understanding.

5. Select an Intellectual Trait to Internalize (Monthly): The Universal Intellectual Traits according to the Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework include:

Humility
Courage
Empathy
Autonomy
Integrity
Perseverance
Reason
Fair-Mindedness

Focus on strengthening one trait each month. For instance, during your courage month, consider how you might push beyond your comfort zone to accomplish a truly remarkable and inspiring feat.

6. Analyze Business Influences (Quarterly) Who—or what—inspires your actions? Look around you. Equally important, what traits do you admire in others? Then, carefully select who—and what—you emulate. After all, Oscar Wilde said, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Become your unique brand of entrepreneur. As is the case of business branding, skills need continual refinement.

It’s a Wrap!

By utilizing the seemingly insignificant “cracks of time” in a different way, you can begin to invigorate your strategic thinking muscle. And you will be better equipped to address problems and recognize opportunities.

If you’re ready to strengthen your strategic thinking muscles, we’re here for you.

Let’s Chat About Your Business Needs

Magic Wands, Unicorns & Other Mythical Thinking of Entrepreneurs

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Who hasn’t made a wish while blowing out a candle or breaking a wishbone? Mythical thinking, loosely defined as a story or a tale, can’t be proven. Lacking any facts, this type of future thinking explains the world around us. Fundamental to all human beings, the notion of mythical thinking never really leaves us.

What does this mean for the small businesses owner who needs to master strategic thinking?

Don’t Feed The Unicorn

Small business entrepreneurs are an optimistic bunch. Most have never met an opportunity they couldn’t leverage or a problem that can’t be solved immediately.

On the other end of the spectrum, some business owners are more cautious and risk-averse with their unique mythical thinking brand.

Mythical thinking also exists in the minds of our clients, as in the case of expectations of your services. It’s a potential source of conflict, controversy, and churn when it goes unrecognized.

Sadly, mythical thinking gets us in trouble. Void any facts, it’s subjective, less direct, and based on personal feelings. Plus, mythical thinking creates a gap between expectations and reality that is a natural stress antagonizer.

Hit a dead end and watch the uprising of mythical thinking. It’s the fertilizer of bad ideas. It propagates when we believe that everything will be different, even though we perform the same actions.

Did you get “lucky?” When a breakthrough that “seems” to come out of nowhere is attributed to “luck” outside of oneself, mythical thinking flourishes.

Ah, yes, but what does mythical thinking look like in real life? Some of the more common phrases lurking in the minds of an entrepreneur include the following:

If I build it, they will come. Most entrepreneurs aren’t going to blurt this out – at least not in public. However, actions – or lack thereof – indicate an expectation that a yellow brick road will rain forth crowds to their storefront (or website).
I’m supposed to know all there is to build a business successfully. Egad! No one wants to look like a fool, especially in front of a potential client, and certainly not in front of another entrepreneur. Most entrepreneurs are masters of their craft, not entrepreneurs.
I’ve got to do it all – myself. Well, this sounds plumb crazy as you read it. Yet, most entrepreneurs fear others cannot, or will not, do the job as well as they can/will.
I need to work 24/7 for my business to succeed. “Yes, and” as we say in comedy improv. Hard work is an essential piece of the success equation – as is working smart. Working more than 60 hours a week is not a badge of honor or anything deserving of applause. That brand of mythical thinking played well during the post-World War II Industrial Age. Today, it is a significant cause of burnout and contributes to a health crisis.
I “have to” follow established business practices. You would be surprised how many entrepreneurs feel the need to follow in step with what the so-called experts say. Those who have walked before you can be a source of wisdom; however, you bring a distinctive trademark of creativity to your business that you should not dismiss.
This is the way we’ve always done it. Wow! As fast as the marketplace is changing, we can hardly afford to do things the same way two days in a row without the risk of losing relevance.

Sadly, this kind of mythical thinking prevents entrepreneurs from reaching out for the support they need to succeed.

Keep Calm & Analyze

Entrepreneurship, and its accompanying success, are anything but mythical. Entrepreneurship is a learned skill. It requires logical thinking based on scientific and empirical data. Facts, controlled experiments, and rational evidence (like key performance metrics) contribute to the objectivity needed to succeed in the world of entrepreneurship.

Each day in the life of an entrepreneur is a clean slate, allowing a fresh, new start.

So, arm yourself with your magic sword, and let’s slay some dragons!

Use Strategic Thinking to Shape Your Small Business Growth

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

What actions do smart entrepreneurs take when business growth stalls? Most double down and work harder or throw more money at the perceived problem — or both! Neither of these options is advisable — or desirable — without the application of some strategic thinking to your business growth.

A recent strategic coaching conversation with “Katherine” (not her real name for the sake of confidentiality) is a perfect example of how strategic thinking shapes business growth. Katherine had already invested a lion’s share of time and money into her growth initiative. As results failed to materialize, her initial frustration turned to irritation. Finally, in total exasperation, she decided to move forward with a project that would be an additional — and substantial — investment of resources in hopes that it would be “the thing” that fueled her small business growth.

What Strategic Thinking Does For Your Business

Before doing so, we decided to put strategic thinking to the test. We took a peek at her performance metrics to glean whatever insight was available.

For many small business entrepreneurs, looking at performance metrics is like partaking in a Rorschach test. We know it’s supposed to mean something but, honestly, it all looks like a bunch of undefined, incoherent inkblots.

strategic thinking for small business growth

Using our best investigative skills, we poked, prodded, and cajoled her performance metrics. We compared them to industry benchmarks. We aligned them with her goals for growth and her business growth strategies.

What we discovered — in a word — was hopeful!

Ultimately, our strategic thinking skills cracked her performance metrics wide open to reveal a set of actions Katherine could take immediately to beef up her business success — before heading out with a substantial investment.

Isn’t that exciting? Time will tell how Katherine’s actions will ultimately shape her business success. Until then, she won’t have to grow her business in the dark with fingers crossed hoping for success. She has actions that are strategic in nature to guide her.

If you’re willing to apply strategic thinking to positively shape your business growth and save time and treasure, count me in!

Should You Micro Niche Your Way to Business Growth?

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Business growth isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the days of being everything to everybody. Yet, despite that, some business leaders tout the benefits of being a generalist.

I see advantages for both the generalist and the specialist.

For instance, a generalist doesn’t necessarily develop the same blind spots as someone specializing in a specific industry. Being a generalist can be beneficial in the case of someone like me who consults and coaches small businesses. I can think outside the industry, which can bring a unique perspective not previously considered. On the other hand, marketing as a generalist has its drawbacks and can make it a bit more challenging to proliferate.

Growing more quickly is where being a specialist can shine. With marketing and messaging confined to one industry, it becomes easier to gain traction.

Even as a specialist, focusing on a niche is no longer enough to break into the world of big profits. Instead, in today’s marketplace, a business needs to specialize in a micro-niche to optimize success.

Defining Micro Niche

Most people in the world of business know what a niche is. Sports cars, fitness, health—each of those is a niche. But if you ever crack open a laptop or scroll through your Facebook newsfeed, you can attest to how many professionals focus on those general industries.

Concentrating on a micro-niche can set you apart and make a significant impact. For example, instead of focusing your brand on general fitness, specialize in fitness for teen girls or women over 60. Those are micro-niches.

Here are a few more examples:

Tiny houses: micro-niche in the real estate industry
European travel: micro-niche in the travel industry (Or niche down further by honing in on travel to Germany.)
All-natural makeup: micro-niche in the skincare industry

Benefits of a Micro Niche for Business Growth

Micro-niching, and its many benefits, is exciting. But, unfortunately, it can also be a bit unnerving.

One of the greatest fears for most small business owners when they consider streamlining services to a more specific area, is the loss of potential clients. Is that possible? Emphatically no! I’ve witnessed this in my coaching practice. The opposite is true. When my clients began the process of niching down, their revenue experienced a substantial jump.

Take a look at the benefits that prove micro niches lead to business growth:

Low competition. Because of the highly specialized nature of the micro-niche, you have minimal competition.
Ability to gain traction. Every business needs momentum to get started and continue growing. A micro-niche provides the traction required to progress quickly, so you’re not spinning your wheels.
Increased profitability. Due to low competition, you naturally experience greater profits because you have access to more clients who share your interests, desires, and passions. (Plus, think of how much fun your business would be if you worked in a highly specialized area that you love.)
Easier marketability. Marketing experts know that standing out in a crowd is the key to drawing attention to your brand and increasing sales. A micro-niche makes this possible and leads to an increase in business growth.

Finding Your Micro Niche

Okay, now you know the importance and benefits of micro-niches. Are you ready to make the switch? If so, how do you find your micro-niche?

Let’s say you’re a fitness expert. How do you stand out from the millions of other fitness experts in the market? Here are the first two questions to ask yourself on your journey toward micro-niche business growth.

What is my greatest passion?
With whom do I most enjoy working? (Read Buyer Persona: The Ultimate Tool for Small Business Success in a Crowded Market.)

Once you’ve answered those two questions, you’re well on your way to identifying your perfect niche fit.

What is the “tiny house” of your market? Give us a call when you’re ready to find out—and micro-niche your way to business growth and success. You’ll be up and growing in no time.

Use This Strategic Approach in Your Business to Uncover Moments of Truth

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Before the introduction of business technology, the traditional marketing model remained unchanged. This reduced consumer choices. Marketing opportunities to learn about competing products or services were limited.

Before the digital revolution, we may have heard about a product from advertising on TV, radio, or newspaper. (Remember those?) However, to experience the product or service, we made our way to a brick-and-mortar establishment. It was only at that point that comparison shopping took place.

Today, the consumer’s purchasing journey is an entirely new game. With the onset of technology, and the inception of digital marketing, 81% of today’s consumers conduct research online before their final buying decision.

In 2011, Google conducted a study ascertaining the number of sources of information consumed before making a purchase. At that time, an average of 10.4 sources was consumed from first viewing an ad to the product purchase. By 2015, that number had doubled to an average of 22 references.

The information available digitally for today’s consumer is so complete that most consumers make their purchasing decision well before entering a store or clicking “add to cart.”

What does this mean for your business?

By taking charge of the moments of truth in your business, you can be among the 20+ pieces of information that consumers consume on their way to their purchasing decision.

Moments of Truth: Today’s Map for Business Marketing

Moments of truth can seem insignificant to a small business owner when they’re happening. Clients, however, have an entirely different reaction. For instance, if a potential client calls you and you don’t give them your full attention because of an office distraction, their impression may be that you are unfocused, unprofessional, and perhaps unworthy of their business. Situations like this can spell disaster for any business.

So, what’s a moment of truth?

A moment of truth is a sliver of time when clients or prospects interact with your business and decide whether or not to do business with you, share you with their network, or use your products/services again.

Jan Carlzon, in his book, Moments of Truth, defines them as “anytime a customer comes into contact with any aspect of a business, however remote, [as] an opportunity to form an impression.”

Some of the everyday moments of truth include:

When a person hears someone else praise you or your work.
When a person likes your physical presentation, including your website, appearance, handshake, voice, or smile.
When a person is touched intellectually and emotionally by what you say.
When a person recognizes you as a model of whom or what they would like to become.
When a person experiences you are consistently excellent technically.
When a person knows you care.
When a person feels they and their information are safe with you.
When a person trusts your professional credentials.
When a person thinks they will be challenged and get what they need from you.
When a person pays your fee without any conversation.
When a person looks forward to small gifts and thoughtful messages from you.
When a person knows you will make it right for them if they have a complaint.
When a person knows your fee is slightly above the industry standard and feels you’re worth it.
When a person is sure that their success and well-being are your priority.
When a person knows you never stop growing professionally.
When you ask a person to tell you their expectations and frustrations about the service you provide.
When a person knows you have designed your business around what’s convenient for them.
When a person can reach you effortlessly.
When a person can count on you to treat them as a unique individual with unique needs.
When a person knows you will remember their kids’ names and send them a card on their birthday.

Strengthening the moments of truth in your business ensures your clients remain on the continuum of the nine steps to building trust. The outcome? A measurable increase in client acquisition, retention, and sales.

The Strategic Role in Mapping Your Moments of Truth

One of the roles of a strategic small business coach is to ensure your business makes the right impression when interacting with clients and prospects. As an advocate for small business owners, a coach provides an objective evaluation that can make the difference between a client passing on your business for one of your competitors and landing that next big sale.

However, you may ask yourself these common strategic questions to refine how you handle the moments of truth in your business.

What are the various touchpoints of our business, such as your Web site, meeting at a networking event, sending an email, or leaving a voicemail message during which a potential client develops an impression?
What is the current impression our clients and prospects experience?
What is our intended impression? Where are the gaps?
What changes ensure each impression is the one we want our client to experience?
Who will make those changes?
When will those changes be made?
How will we measure the effectiveness of your changes?

Analyzing your moments of truth bring clarity to your business. And, with the right strategies you can create impressions to turn the most skeptical prospect into your company’s most enthusiastic advocate.

Maneuvering the “Jargon Jungle” of Small Business Marketing

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

It’s a jungle out there, especially when understanding the terminology to market your small business. A misunderstood term or misapplied could blow a big deal with a critical client. Egads!

What’s worse than not knowing a vital marketing phrase? Of course, that would be not using the correct lingo at the right time! In a nutshell, it makes you look like an amateur

The Entrepreneur, the Manager, and the Technician

Michael Gerber, the well-known author of The E-myth, spoke of the three personalities who go into business: the entrepreneur, the manager, and the technician.

The entrepreneur sets the vision and does the heavy lifting of strategic thinking. Then, the manager implements the plan laid out by the entrepreneur. And, the technician does the “roll up your sleeves” actual work of the business.

If you’re like most small business entrepreneurs, you’re all three — and a few more! And, you likely spent most of your time working “in” your business as the technician.

What does this have to do with the “jungle jargon”? I’m so glad you asked!

Without a technical background in entrepreneurship or marketing, it’s easy to misuse or misunderstand marketing terminology and tools.

The Small Business Marketing Basics

Three commonly misinterpreted and misapplied terms are elevator speech, unique selling proposition, and value proposition. Knowing how and when to use each of these terms can influence your business growth rate.

An elevator pitch is one to two sentences about your target audience and your general area of work. Most often used in networking situations to introduce your business, offline and online. The elevator pitch is only a few words long and quickly delivered within 10 seconds.
Your unique selling proposition is a statement of what makes you different. Your USP may be your specialty, methodology, or guarantee and is commonly used when a client is ready to buy.
The value proposition is a marketing statement of the promise of value to be delivered to the potential client. Your value proposition is specific and generally cites numbers or percentages. It also may include a quick synopsis of your work. A value proposition is often used in emails, your website, and conversations with your prospective audience. More than anything, your value proposition indicates why the potential client should buy from you rather than your competition — without ever having to use the name of the competition!

Getting through the business jungle unscathed and in one piece is challenging enough. But, without the right equipment, it can be daunting!

With the right tools at the right time, you’ll quickly cut through the dense, unruly marketing space to grow your business.

The Business-Changing Lessons of a Mastermind Group

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Business is becoming increasingly complex. And, just like “it takes a village” to raise a child, it takes an armada to grow a business. Increasing complexity and overwhelm is why we launched mastermind groups — to bring together a flotilla of like-minded business owners to share insights, experience, knowledge, and encouragement unavailable when growing your business in a silo.

Our first mastermind group focused on helping business owners create a strategic blueprint for growing their business. Discussions ranged from the significance of a well-articulated vision to proving one’s business models to buttoning down habits to create a system of sustainable success.

It was transformative, really — for everyone who participated, including myself. Members formed trusted bonds. With their unique experience and expertise, each business owner generously shared their resources. Opportunities between members of the mastermind spawned. And most importantly, participants created business-changing results.

The Birth of the Mastermind Group

Groups like these have been around since the days of Napoleon Hill. His classic book, “Think and Grow Rich,” defined a mastermind group as “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”

Hill states, “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible, intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.” Who doesn’t appreciate an extra brain, right?

There are peer support groups we may not usually recognize as such. For instance, a business advisory board, Weight Watchers, and Vistage are everyday examples of similar organizations. These coordinated groups provide the coming together of people in support, encouragement, and knowledge-sharing that allows everyone to grow personally and professionally.

The Many Benefits of a Mastermind Group for Entrepreneurs

Many peer groups built around business growth provide collective support and encouragement for the participants. In my humble opinion, what separates our mastermind group from most is the facilitation by a trained business strategist and coach. Well-honed coaching skills strengthen the support among the participants, promote self-awareness, inspire action, and cultivate commitment while creating a priceless ROI.

Here are a few of the business-changing lessons of a mastermind group:

Even when converging virtually, collective gathering breaks the isolation and loneliness of growing a business. Nothing grows well, if at all, in a vacuum. Similarly, not everything goes as planned or intended when running a business. The support and environment of transparency help deal with the emotional fallout and exhaustion that often comes with growing a business.

Acquisition and assimilation of knowledge accelerate learning which sparks action.

It’s such a unique advantage to be able to learn from individuals who are at a similar stage in their business. Mastermind 350+ allows you to connect with and leverage individuals from a wide range of industries who are all committed to taking their businesses to the next level — Zoey Smith, Zbra Studios

The Mastermind group is the most meaningful time I spend on my business each month. It’s been hard to find a group of business owners who are experienced and established AND willing to share their best practices, advice, and also their mistakes. It’s rare, and it’s so valuable. — Laura M. Labovich, The Career Strategy Group

Structure fills in the gap between planning and implementation. Participants move from thinking of planning to plan and implementing actions to success. They move from merely staying afloat to moving ahead.

Everyone’s an expert. Ideas, concepts, and notions from thought-leaders and well-known experts are frequently shared among entrepreneurs as the end-all, be-all keys to success. That’s accommodation, not alteration. Breakthroughs occur when best practices are customized to fit you, your lifestyle, and your strengths. Whatever “best practice” you follow, make it yours.

Participants recognize they are more intelligent than previously thought. Through sharing insights and knowledge, participation lifts the cloud of self-doubt that plagues many business owners.

I come away from each session more motivated and armed with strategies and techniques I can use to improve my own business. — John Lanza, Chief Mammal, The Money Mammals

Members identify and share opportunities. Trust is enhanced in an environment of transparency and fellowship. Confidence in a participant’s business capability is a powerful network-sharing tool.

Thinking expands along with the courage to seek larger projects than previously believed possible. It is vital to understand the obstacles to progress and identify practical, applicable ways to remove them permanently. This makes the difference between a small struggling business to a more powerful, sustainable business.

Business models have become upgraded for today’s economy. Entrepreneurship, by its very nature, is disruptive. Sadly, many businesses use the same business model from decades ago. It’s no wonder they struggle. However, business models are challenged, modernized, and proven to create greater profits in a Mastermind group.

The Bottom Line?

During the 20+ years I’ve been working with business owners, much has changed. Technological advancements, albeit welcome, add layers of complexity (and overwhelm) to small businesses. As a result, a strategy is more critical — and difficult — for entrepreneurs today to pave the way for your success.

One can’t have too much support.

__________________________

Do you want to unlock the potential of your business? Join our Mastermind and discover how!

Consider An Inbound Marketing Strategy for Business Growth

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Your business growth is shaped by consumer behavior. And, as you might have noticed, consumer buying behaviors have changed dramatically. Newspaper ads, circulars, or cold calling are a thing of the past. Consumers no longer have confidence in such methods. So while consumers continue to buy, how they spend their money has changed.

Today, consumers turn to the web for information about companies and products before buying. In addition, 80% of business decision-makers research custom content to learn about service. Busy entrepreneurs prefer this method rather than being bombarded with ads. Sound familiar?

As a result, we need to respond to the change in buying behaviors with fresh ideas that better match consumers’ buying habits.

Enter Inbound Marketing.

Outbound Vs. Inbound Marketing for Business Growth

The antiquated method of marketing — “outbound marketing” — is based on the principle of pushing products and services on consumers. This strategy is “interruptive marketing.” And, for a good reason. The outbound method interrupts your day with sales calls, unwanted emails, and misplaced ads. (As though you don’t already have enough interruptions.)

On the other hand, inbound marketing improves business growth by attracting consumers to your product or service using content that serves a purpose. Whether that purpose is to inform or entertain, it doesn’t involve selling.

The Attraction of Inbound Marketing

The basis of inbound marketing is to attract potential clients to your business. However, there’s another factor that makes inbound marketing attractive. An automated inbound marketing strategy allows you to achieve better personal and professional balance as your business grows.

Like me, you likely launched your business to be the boss, including setting your schedule. And, like me, you probably didn’t realize that growing a business required such an extraordinary level of devotion, dedication, and time.

Yet, as entrepreneurs, one of the things we crave most from owning our own business is more time for the people and things we love. That’s where inbound marketing comes in.

Inbound marketing certainly mitigates the time burden of business growth. Instead of being stuck in traffic or schmoozing it up at networking events and business fairs to generate leads, an inbound marketing strategy is automated to work in your absence. This automated process gives you more time for family—and other things you love—while you continue to generate new leads.

What Are You Waiting For?

Even though inbound marketing saves time and improves lead generation, it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to:

Define your strategy
Identify the elements of your strategy
Build the components of your system.

Even once all your ducks are in a row, it takes time to:

Build awareness
Establish credibility
Expand your reach

Patience — and persistence — are key! And the amount of perseverance (and time) depends on many different factors — which is why it’s crucial to start immediately.

It can take 12 to 18 months—or maybe more—to see results at the level you desire. The sooner you begin, however, the sooner you’ll benefit from the fruits of your labor and open doors to your desired client base.

Now that you know the ins and outs of business growth, what are you waiting for?

Become Your Own Business Coach to Master Self-Accountability

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

There’s been some discussion swirling around my business coach community on the subject of accountability. Admittedly, it’s a broad topic that means different things to different people. However, accountability — primarily, the act of holding oneself accountable — seems to be most prevalent.

What comes to mind when you think of accountability?

As I ponder what accountability means in my universe, I define it as doing what I said I would do long after the mood in which I said I would do so has passed. That’s key — the mood thing.

It says I am reliable to do my part — even if I no longer feel like it. People can place their trust in me. It screams when I commit to doing something, I’ll follow through no matter what.

Frankly, it’s hard for me not to keep my promises (i.e., remain accountable) to others, no matter how much anxiety it creates. Staying accountable to myself, however, can be a unicorn.

The Accountability Argument with Oneself

I’m not alone in my quest to hold myself accountable. One of the primary reasons people seek out a business coach is to keep them responsible for their goals.

What is it about the promises we make to ourselves or the goals we set that make it so challenging to hold our own feet to the fire?

It’s pretty easy to talk ourselves out of following through on a promise we made to ourselves. This is because it’s such an intelligent conversation. From the witty negotiation to the strong arguments against following through, it’s a surprise we’re not all allowed to try cases in a court of law without any formal training.

It reminds me of the cartoon with the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other while powerfully presenting the case for or against. Whoever wins the argument rules the universe.

Owning Accountability

One of my favorite definitions of accountable is by Business Dictionary

The obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them and disclose the results in a transparent manner. It also includes the responsibility for money or other entrusted property.

It’s this definition that sheds light on our struggle.

As business owners, we are only accountable to ourselves. Unless your business structure consists of a Board of Directors or shareholders, there is no one to “scold” you for your “bad behavior.” As a result, there are seldom consequences — beyond the crushing disappointment of missing deadlines or treasured goals.

Beyond engaging a business coach to hold our feet to the fire and honor the commitments we make to ourselves — and then — it’s sheer willpower that seems to be the glue that holds it all together. But, unfortunately, it will lose its power throughout the day — much like a muscle loses strength from continual use. I can already see the epic flaw and failure in this strategy!

Knowing how easy it is to let ourselves off the hook, it’s essential to consider a better structure. Although I’m naturally going to advocate for hiring a business coach, after all, that is my thing — it is best to create your system of accountability.

With your system in place, you rely upon yourself. And, as the saying goes, you’ll never leave you. It’s foolproof.

The Business Coach Approach to Accountability

To help you create your accountability structure, here are a few considerations:

1) Make sure you’re genuinely committed to what you say you want to achieve. Lots of us say we want something. But, in reality, it’s more of a want, a wish, or a should. There’s no real commitment behind it. Unless you can settle upon a goal you are committed to achieving; you’re only fooling and frustrating yourself.

2) Once you’ve identified a goal to which you are genuinely committed, carve out time — dedicated, uninterrupted time — during which you will do what it takes to achieve your goal. Outside of time for achievement, it’s a Santa Claus moment as you await some miracle on 35th street.

3) Surround yourself with the correct information and the right people. You’ve set your goal and carved out time. You can’t continue to poke around on FB (or whatever other social media platform you use to kill time). Your goal, and your commitment to its achievement, are much too significant. And, you know the definition of insanity — doing the same thing and expecting different results. Ugh! What are you willing to change?

4) Put a little skin in the game. That worked beautifully for me recently during a 28 day no alcohol February. In the past, where willpower failed me miserably, I put my money where my willpower wasn’t. To hold myself accountable for my goal, I committed to donating $100 to the re-election of a particular politician that I absolutely, positively did not want to be re-elected for every drink I took.

It worked!

Every time I wanted to pour myself a bit of merlot at the end of a particularly stressful day, I thought of the check I would have to write for this so-called treat. Heck no!

Bottom Line: It’s a DIY World

There’s freedom in knowing you have built the internal and external structure to honor your commitments. Think about it. Your accountability framework eliminates the need or desire to blame someone else — to scapegoat others — if, for whatever reason, they don’t hold you accountable to your commitment. (Even writing this is a bit crazy-making.)

Yes, you can use the structure of a coaching appointment for accountability, but, honestly, a coach is not your boss, spouse, mother, or judge. They don’t have the kind of power for enforcing consequences — even those to which you have agreed.

You and your system of accountability, on the other hand? It’s a winning combination.

Know When to “Zip It” to Avoid Damage to Your Small Business Growth

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Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Communication. It can build up your small business or tear it apart—the right kind of communication fuels optimism, hope, excitement, confidence, and small business growth. The wrong type of communication, well, let’s say it doesn’t paint a pretty picture of the future.

Late last week, I found myself in a critical conversation. I won’t get into the details but let’s say it was one of those chats that left me feeling deflated. If it weren’t for a tiny detail, I would have hung up the phone or walked out on the conversation. But, instead, I was in a passionate exchange with myself. Egads!

Have you ever had one of those conversations? You tell yourself everything you did wrong, point out all your faults, and whine about what’s not possible. But, of course, you have!

The words we say to ourselves are more damaging than words we exchange with others. This is because self-talk changes the way we see ourselves. It influences our performance, shapes our perception, and impacts our future.

The Science Behind Self-Talk

As many would believe, self-talk isn’t just a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Instead, from a neuroscience perspective, it shapes our internal modeling.

Ethan Kross, a psychologist from the University of Michigan, recently released a study in which pronouns used by people when they spoke to themselves silently – inside their brain – were researched. His findings were astonishing.

“What we find,” Kross says, “is that a subtle linguistic shift — shifting from ‘I’ to your name — can have potent self-regulatory effects.”

During his study, Kross had “nonfamous” people (i.e., you and I) divided into two groups. One group used the pronoun “I” as they prepared for a presentation; the other group used their name as if speaking in the third person as they prepared to talk.

The results were terrific. Those who used “I” in their inner monologue were much more critical of themselves and their ability to perform well. However, those using their name were much more supportive and encouraged how well they would do with their presentation.

Words Matter in a Mental Monologue for Your Small Business Growth

We all know negative self-talk contributes to stress. But, it’s a high price to pay. It affects our sleep, impacts our eating, interferes in our relationships, and grinds our business motion to a standstill.

If we don’t feel valuable to ourselves, we won’t benefit our clients. You may never realize your full potential the personal oration begins to change.

Start by monitoring your inner monologue—tune in to what you say to yourself. Change the dial. Speak to yourself as you speak to others, and have others speak to you. Develop different – and better – phrases to replace the ones used. And, by all means, know when to “zip it” when the conversation with yourself turns negative.

Bite-Size Chunks of Wisdom

Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

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