Accountability Partners

A sense of accountability or willingness to accept the responsibility of ones efforts to achieve set goals is necessary to accomplish success.   All to often, it is easy to make excuses to why we aren't accomplishing what we need to.  Even easier to make these excuses to ourselves. 

Business mentors or "Accountability Partners" can be great motivators and hinder the use of excuses.  If you have someone to report to, you're less likely to take the easy road.  I know I would be embarrassed to continuously have to tell my Accountability Partner why I hadn't accomplished what I set out to. 

You can find a great Accountability Partner in your business circle.  Fellow Chamber members, industry groups, or even a co-worker.  Be sure to find someone you can trust to keep your discussions confidential, who possess traits of confidence and creativity, and who is able to engage and challenge you.

Meeting consistently is key to a successful partnership whether it be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.  Having a set date to report your progress will give you extra motivation.

Accountability Partners can also help you refine your business skills.  Not everyone is a master of all things and their approach to time management, goal setting, or work/life balance could educate you on better tactics.  They may also have a unique approach to a particular task, extra insight due to experience, or greater personal knowledge on a subject. 

If you don't have one already, I highly recommend that you find an Accountability Partner this year and start enjoying all the benefits of this kind of partnership.  Feel free to post comments about your partnership's successes and lessons learned.

Get a Grip-Handshaking Tips

Ok fellas, I realize etiquette books say that a firm handshake makes a good first impression but keep in mind the hand you are shaking.  If you're shaking a female's hand remember it's alot smaller and delicate.  I had a handshake recently that made my hand sore for the rest of the day.  Granted I remembered that greeting, it wasn't necessarily positive.  Just my opinion.

While on the subject of handshakes, I found a couple tips from an article by Psychology Today.

 Here are a few handshaking tips that may grab approval:

• Men and women should stand when receiving an introduction (unless standing would be prohibitively difficult).
• Keep drinks in your left hand in situations where you are repeatedly being introduced. No one likes a wet or cold handshake.
• Don't offer your hand for a shake if the other person has his or hers full.
• Remove gloves (except when it's extremely cold). 

And I would add, don't act like you're going in for a game of mercy.  Also, please get a complete grip.  Nothing is more emasculating or uncomfortable then the finger shake.

For laughs, check out the blog post below entitled "Awkward Moves-Handshake Edition." by someone named Walrus (it's already got my approval).  It's just for fun, please don't try these moves in the business world.

Awkward comedy is the new slapstick. Gone are the days of laugh tracks, canned humor, three camera sitcoms and everything going back to normal at the end of the episode. Parents are watching “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Grandparents are watching “The Office.”   Everywhere you turn, people are trying to make you feel uncomfortable.  Why shouldn’t they?  In most cases, it’s pretty much hilarious.

I try to be awkward as often as I can.  Awkward handshakes are my area of expertise.  Here are some of my favorite moves, applicable (with often hilarious results) whether it’s your best friend or someone you are meeting for the first time. 

The Premature Negotiator (What I referred to as the finger shake)-  When approaching the introduction, get your Van Damme on, this one requires focus.  You have to grab early, so as to only handshake the fingertips. A fraction of a second early or late, and you’ve either missed and made a fool of yourself, or you just shook a hand that you never intended to.  Get the Purell, it’s gonna be a long night.

The Torpedo-  If done correctly, the torpedo yields extended-periods-of-silence awkwardness.  Go in for the handshake full speed, and at the last possible second, tuck your thumb in front of your pointer finger.  The aerodynamics increase velocity as your hand will slide through his open hand, leaving him not sure if he should continue squeezing your upper forearm or rip his hand away and seek therapy.

The Cold Hand Luke-  Simple, yet effective.  A slight twist on the classic dead fish tactic, advance as normal and commence the handshake, except upon dermal contact let your hand go completely limp.  The key to this one is to maintain eye contact throughout the entire exchange, even a few moments after your hand is released. The title is a nod to Paul Newman, who you should try to imitate as you gaze into the unsuspecting eyes of an increasingly uncomfortable person.