Finding an accountability partner allows you to achieve short- and long-term business goals. This person can motivate and inspire you to keep pushing toward the right direction. Like any other partnership, though, you need to take care of it. Here are the best ways to nurture this relationship.
Finding the Best Accountability Partner to Help You Achieve Business Goals
Many people think an accountability partner is only for those who are starting in their career. As you began your Direct Selling business, you relied on your sponsor or upline leader – and that person continues to be an important resource. But an accountability partner is a little different from those mentors who are more seasoned than you.
An accountability partner is typically at about the same place in the pay plan as you. The purpose is to share experiences and support each other as you build your business and move up in title. Together you can learn and master the business system your Sponsors introduced to you. You can both set personal goals – and count on each other to hold you to them. This will make your journey toward building a successful business much easier to manage.
By my definition, accountability partners compose a group of two emerging or established professionals who choose to work together. The ultimate goal is to uphold personal accountability. Each person holds the other to a higher standard professionally as they purposefully move their business forward. You motivate and encourage each other to press forward, take action, and succeed.
How can you tell it is the right time to find an accountability partner?
- Perhaps you’ve hit a plateau in your business – or you’re on an upward swing and want to build on that momentum.
- You are someone who can better stay on track if you are accountable to others.
- You want to keep your enthusiasm and productivity fresh.
- You’d appreciate a sounding board (and would happy to do the same for a colleague).
- You want to create a mutually beneficial relationship and share advice and give support to someone else.
A relationship with an accountability partner can provide many benefits in your life. It can reignite and sustain your passion. The fact you’re working peer-to-peer opens the door to more freedom for authenticity, idealism, and openness.
Best Practices for an Accountability Partnership
Here are your to-do lists when seeking an accountability partner:
- Look for an equal measure of energy, hunger, discipline, trust, commitment, positivity, and enthusiasm.
- Commit to connect on a regular basis – 30 minutes once a week is a great place to start.
- Schedule the call on the same day and time each week.
- Show up! Don’t casually reschedule.
- Be on time and come prepared.
- Calendar your calls three months at a time, to support your mutual commitment.
Your Personal Accountability
- Make a commitment to “maintain” your current or higher level of success throughout the relationship.
- Challenge yourself to bring value to your partner, and expect the same in return.
- Hold your accountability partner to a higher standard, and expect that in return, too.
- Set boundaries as you begin working together. These include honesty, time commitment, activity, and confidentiality.
- Agree that this is neither a social call nor a “bitch” session.
- Re-evaluate every 90 days. If the relationship is not serving either partner, agree that you both reserve the right to cancel the partnership without drama or judgment.
Stick to the Call Agenda
People look for accountability partners to help them improve and grow. These should be the goals at any meeting or call. To stick to the agenda, remember the following:
- Start the call with a recent “win” from each of you.
- If there is some frustrating topic to discuss, it’s fine to make each other a sounding board – but set a time limit! Resist the temptation of going beyond more than 2 minutes!
- Discuss your top three prospects and the action steps to move them forward to a decision.
- Discuss your prospecting activities from the prior week.
- Choose one aspect of your business system to review together, then work on improving that skill set. For example, social media posts, asking for referrals or connect calls.
- Declare your current goals for prospecting, sales quotas, title, income, and so on.
- Declare the top three action steps you will take before the next call to move you in the direction of your goals.
- End with a brief positive quote from each of you. Share a paragraph or quote from something you’re reading. This will support your personal development practice.
The idea is to come to each call having met your declared action steps from the prior call. That’s where we get the word “accountability.” Aha! Now it’s making sense. When you master the “accountability” part of the partnership, the value of this special relationship can result in unprecedented success for both of you.