The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months

by Brian P. Moran

Pitfall 1: You continue to view accountability as consequences.

Pitfall 2: You look outside yourself.

Tip 1: Acknowledge reality.

Tip 2: Focus on what you can control.

The Power of Commitments Commitment is the second of the three principles of the 12 Week Year. It is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition, as “The state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to a course of action, or to another person or persons.”

Commitments are powerful. In a way, commitment is accountability projected into the future.

I want to look at commitments on two levels. The first level describes what we refer to as personal commitments, those we make with ourselves. The second is about the commitments we make to others—our word.

A personal commitment is a promise you make with yourself to take specific actions. It may be working out consistently, spending time with the family, stopping smoking, or making a certain number of sales calls each day.

What this means is that we have intentions that we are aware of—stated intentions—and those of which we are not aware—hidden intentions.

Often, the stated intentions which I am aware of are in conflict with intentions that I am unaware of.

Technically, these reasons are the manifestations of deeper intentions, like the desire for comfort, pleasure, satisfaction, relaxation, entitlement, and so on.

In Chapter 9 we gave you four keys to successful commitments; as a reminder they are: 1. Strong desire. 2. Keystone actions. 3. Count the costs. 4. Act on commitments, not feelings.

It’s a short list, and an ugly one! Not following through on your commitments destroys relationships and contributes to failure and self-esteem issues.

The commitment mind-set is to choose pleasurable results over pleasurable activity.

As a leader, your ability to make and keep commitments is essential in building and maintaining strong relationships and a productive workforce.

Tip 1: Don’t overcommit. Commitments are serious; treat them that way. Don’t take on more than you can handle.

Tip 2: Go public with your commitments. If you are serious about your commitments, then tell someone you trust.

Tip 3: Buddy up. As with so many things in life, it’s easier with a friend. Where possible, find a friend, coworker, or family member to engage along with you.

Given a choice, people choose immediate and certain short-term comfort over potential long-term benefits almost every time, unless there is a compelling reason to choose otherwise.

A research study by Amy N. Dalton and Stephen A. Spiller, found that the benefits of planning diminish rapidly, if not altogether, if you pursue and plan with more than one goal.

Re-read Chapters 8 and 18 to remind yourself of the power of accountability as ownership. They are probably the most powerful chapters in the book.

Check in to the Weekly Accountability Meetings (WAMs), if appropriate. Be encouraging! When you attend, bring your weekly plan and your score from last week so you can lead by example.

As the old saying goes, inspect when you expect.

After-Action Review One of the qualities of a leader is that they are always striving to get better, and to help their team get better. After-action reviews at the end of the first 12 weeks, and subsequent years for that matter, are an effective way to facilitate learning and improvement for you and your team.