Picture this; It’s the end of the quarter, and your team missed the target on a big project.
It’s too late to fix it.
Not only are you in a bind, the key team member feels terrible because they’ve worked hard. The problem was that they didn’t understand what you expected.
Today you’ll learn how weekly 4-1-1 accountability meetings allow you to get on the same page with team members.
Wendy Papasan has been using this technique for 20 years — we joke that Wendy's 4-1-1 practice is almost drinking age.
The backbone of your 4-1-1 system
The framework for each meeting is aligning time-bound goals and objectives with your weekly plan and daily implementation.
- 4: Four weeks
- 1: One month
- 1: One year
When you and your team practice the 4-1-1, you won’t be blindsided.
Before you balk and say you don’t have time to meet one-on-one with each team member, consider the time and stress you save when you and your team are confident they’re headed in the right direction toward short- and long-term goals.
Four questions your 4-1-1 meetings must answer each week
1. Are you providing the leadership, coaching, and support each team member needs?
From 2012 to 2020, former Chairman and CEO Ginni Rometty guided IBM through a turbulent era and positioned the tech company for future success. She says:
"Your value will be not what you know; it will be what you share."
Empire growth is not just about revenue. 4-1-1 conversations elevate functions that prioritize personal and professional growth for your team members. Their success is your success.
2. What's happening in the lives of each team member?
It's easy to get "so busy" that weeks and months go by, and you lose that human connection with team members.
Are they caring for an aging parent, preparing to start a family, or planning to use their first quarter bonus to take a 3-month trip around the world at the end of the year? Know what they want or need, and do everything you can to support them.
3. Does each team member’s weekly schedule reflect their top priority?
We all struggle sometimes to juggle daily demands and longer-term priorities.
Your employees want to perform up to and even beyond expectations. Your 4-1-1 meetings help both of you keep the big goal in focus and translate it into daily action.
4. Are members of your team worried about something beyond their control?
Markets move quickly, creating stress, confusion, and worry.
Keep your team focused on what they can control. Channel negative emotion into creative solutions that only come from clear-headed thinking. This is how you turn threats into opportunities.
Implementing 4-1-1
- Set aside 30 minutes per week — or up to an hour when you’re planning the month ahead.
- Are you on target for the month?
- What's on your calendar this week?
- Block out time to work on big goals.
- If necessary, rearrange your schedule.
When you and your team members practice the 4-1-1, you exemplify focusing on what's most important. You're building a wealth of talent as you grow your business and pour into the lives of people you care about.
This, my friend, is empire-building.
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