As I prepare to close out this journey of four articles, I will leave you with this final thought that has resonated quite loudly with me over the years. I’ve learned quite a few valuable lessons through this process of strategic life planning and one of the most poignant has been positive effect of the accountability factor. If you meet any successful person and you ask them about their journey to success, I guarantee you they did not get to where they are solely based on their own merit. Chances are, there has been a team in their corner pushing them to their greatest limits.
I often refer to my accountability group as my Dream Team. They are friends, business partners, and mentors I have assembled to hold me accountable to reach my goals. They are honest, sometimes brutally, and don’t accept excuses for defeat for failure. When working alone, it’s easy to succumb to procrastination and lose focus. You slip seamlessly back into those old habits without the benefit of a consistent reality check. With your partner essentially looking over your shoulder, it’s not as easy to throw the towel in and give up. My Dream Team simply has my best interest at heart and have invested their time in my journey of self growth and achievement.
The first three articles highlighted the need to identify your core values and write your vision and mission statement, goals and actions. Your action plan is the step where you begin your forward momentum. As you begin to move, you need periodic checkups to ensure you are on the right track and following your plan. Your accountability partner should be part of that process.
Having the right people on your team is critical to your success as they become the bridge by which you walk across and the foundation that will hold you up during low periods. When selecting a single partner or assembling your dream team, chose people who possess these traits.
1. Honest
2. Driven
3. Committed
4. Inspiring/Motivating
5. Challenging
6. Confident
7. Interested in your success
8. Personal Record of achievement
Once you’ve selected an accountability partner, you should:
1. Review each other’s goals to gain clarity. Partnerships work best when the players are aligned and have similar goals. For example, if you join with someone to help you achieve business goals then the greatest success will come if that person is working on goals in that area as well. Duality of focus allows for the greatest exchange of creative and innovative ideas.
2. Decide on the frequency of meetings (weekly or bi-weekly). You should meet with your accountability partner at minimum every other week. Ideally, you should meet with your partner weekly to generate the best synergy and results. The more often you meet, the more frequent the opportunity to receive feedback and share best practices.
3. Establish your process for reporting goals. Consult with your partner to determine how you will submit your weekly goals and results (e.g. email, written report, online group site, etc). The step is very important since it will also serve as a tracking tool to see results. You must also be diligent in documenting your progress to allow for the best measurement of achievement in the end.
4. Encourage sharing best practices, brainstorming, and creative thinking. One of the greatest benefits of having an accountability partner who has found success in the area you are currently working on is the opportunity to learn from their missteps and avoid possible obstacles. This opens up the dialogue to share best practices and expand your creative thinking. No idea or suggestion is too outlandish. Take this opportunity to throw all ideas against the wall to see what sticks and works best for you.
5. Position yourself to receive honest, constructive feedback. Receiving constructive feedback from a party who is non-judgmental and only has your best interest at heart helps you to thrive and grow into the person you were meant to be. This underscores why it may not be best to have someone in your family or a close friend serve as your only accountability partner. The feedback may be harsh, but it will challenge you to soar to greater heights.
In Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich he wrote about the process of Masterminding. Masterminding joins like-minded individuals who work in tandem to create life balance and achieve results. The individuals in this group, in essence, serve as each other’s accountability partner. However you choose to move forward, be it with one person or a group, find those who are outside your current circle to connect with. Position yourself to support them in their growth while they are supporting you as well. Steven Covey said “The key to growth is to learn to make promises and keep them.” An accountability partner helps you to do just that. It’s never about what someone else desires for you to do, it’s completely about your personal goals and plans and your unwavering desire to achieve them. It’s about the promise you made to yourself to live your life purposed by design.
Accountability is Key! Join forces and change the world.
© Copyright 2011 Adrian Freeman
Adrian Freeman is a motivational speaker and personal coach. Using a series of strategic goals, meaningful actions, and accountability, Adrian’s approach has proven successful for those he’s mentored either individually or as a group. Adrian’s idea of success is seeing others achieve their greatest potential. For speaking engagements or to request additional articles, visit http://adrianspeaks.net or email Adrian at [email protected]
