Our leadership team is notorious for putting off prep work until the night before a meeting. How do you hold us accountable for completing our pre-session homework and reading assignments without acting like an annoying school teacher who ruins our working dynamic?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A common point of frustration for business owners is when leadership team members arrive at a planning session unprepared, having ignored their reading assignments or prep work. However, Tyler does not act as a nagging school teacher to enforce compliance. Instead, we let the peer pressure of the operating system do the heavy lifting.

Preparation expectations for our sessions are kept simple, realistic, and highly focused. We do not overwhelm you with administrative homework. When prep work is assigned, it is because it is essential for the quality of the upcoming session, such as gathering operational numbers or reflecting on your individual long-term vision.

To handle unprepared leaders without hurting the team dynamic, we use the following approach:
- We establish a clear charter of trust and strategic alignment that sets high standards of professionalism and commitment for every leader.
- If a leader fails to complete their prep work, it immediately becomes a team issue that is brought to the table and solved using the IDS® process.
- Peer-to-peer accountability is far more powerful than any outside facilitator's nagging; no leader wants to explain to their peers why they held up the progress of the entire company.

By relying on internal team accountability, we maintain a professional, respectful relationship while ensuring everyone arrives ready to do great work.