How Leaders Can Boost Follow-up

Have you or one of your team members ever attended a seminar, class, or important meeting where they picked up valuable ideas and information, but then got back to work only to become so busy or distracted that the ideas were never implemented? Of course, it happens to most of us. What can you do to get these ideas implemented? Here are two simple techniques that can significantly increase the probability that you and your direct reports "use it and don't lose it."

Technique I. Professor P. L. Matthews, from the Dominican University of California, recruited 267 participants from a wide variety of businesses, organizations and networking groups throughout the world for a study on how goal achievement in the workplace is influenced by writing goals, committing to goal-directed actions, and being accountable to others. (1)

Participants were randomly assigned to one of these five groups:

• Group 1 was asked to think about their goals. (43%)
• Groups 2 -- 5 were asked to write down their goals. (61%)
• Group 3 was also asked to formulate action commitments. (51%)
• Group 4 was also asked to formulate action commitments, and send their goals and action commitments to a supportive friend. (64%)
• Group 5 was also asked to formulate action commitments, and send their goals, action commitments, and weekly progress reports to a supportive friend. (76%)

At the end of four weeks, participants were asked to rate their progress in the degree to which they were able to accomplish the goals that they set. The percentage within the parentheses above indicates the percent of accomplished goals for that group. In other words, individuals in group 1 accomplished 43% of their stated goals versus 76% for those in group 5.

Technique II. The other approach many leaders use to boost follow-up and accountability concerns how they end meetings. Most good leaders end their meetings by assigning action steps to the attendees. Great leaders, on the other hand, ask each person in the meeting to state their action steps aloud, so everyone in the room knows what they have committed to do. Researchers call this approach "public accountability." It is been demonstrated that it increases the probability that people Follow-up. You and I know it as good old-fashion "peer pressure."

Remember, the meaning of most meetings is what happens after the meeting. Therefore, whenever you plan a meeting you should focus on what you want participants to do after the meeting.

I strongly urge you to implement one or both of the techniques based on the findings of Dr. Matthews' research if you want to increase the probability that you actually use ideas presented after attending a workshop, class, or any important meeting. Write a goal, create an action plan to achieve the goal, and most importantly hold yourself accountable by e-mailing a colleague your progress once a week. How surprised will you be when you become a better goal setter AND goal achiever?

Keep stretching when pulled,
Dave

1. http://www.dominican.edu/academics/ahss/undergraduate-programs-1/psych/f...