by Lisa Illman
You hear it often when it comes to exercise and losing weight; have an exercise partner who shares your same desire to be fit and healthy. But can this concept also be applied to your business or career? Absolutely! I have always had a partner who knows my with my business, blog and invention goals and agrees to hold me accountable for my action towards meeting these goals. In return, I agree to do the same for her. We text each other daily, spend a few minutes on the phone every week and meet for lunch once a month or once a quarter depending on our schedules. But no matter what, we agree to stick to our agreed upon schedule because we both know the benefits we reap from this very important activity. Not to mention it is fun to get together with another person and share ideas during our dinners. In between our face-to-face sessions we are corresponding regularly to check in on progress made and as importantly, providing encouragement to each other.
When choosing your accountability partner, you want to be sure your partner has a positive attitude and is interested in results. Think of someone you already know from school, work or volunteer groups that seem to have the same drive as you do. In addition, a partner who is committed to success and is enthusiastic about meeting and even succeeding her goals. In Jack Canfield’s book, The Success Principles, Jack writes of the importance of having an accountability partner. In October 2013 Jack posted on his Facebook page, “The key to a successful accountability partner relationship is choosing someone who is as excited about reaching his or her goal as you are about reaching yours. Do you have an accountability partner?”
Ask yourself these five questions when identifying possible candidates.
- Is this person committed and driven?
- Is she accountable for her goals and actions towards a successful life?
- Does this person have a positive outlook on life? Is she mature and respectful, having a responsible caring approach? (No harsh critics!)
- Do I trust this person? (Stay away from gossips!)
- Will she be able to invest the time our relationship deserves?
As you consider potential partners, also consider the above questions for yourself. Are you committed, positive and trust worthy? You will want to be the best accountability partner you can be; as we all know, you get out of it what you put into it!
Now that you have your accountability partner, set a schedule to correspond and be sure to agree on how you will be corresponding and how often. Consider how many times you want to talk on the phone, text, email and meet face to face. Many partners like to talk daily with a quick chat on the phone at the end of the day. I have had success doing correspondence this way, but also through daily texts with Friday calls (which always last longer than a few minutes) and monthly lunches. I have used a combination of daily emails, weekly Skype and quarterly dinners with accountability partners who live in other areas and have seen tremendous results. However you set up your schedule, be sure you agree on one that works for you both. Get committed to the schedule and stick with the plan. Invest the time, be positive, stay committed, have fun and watch your results soar!
Lisa Illman is the president and founder of Kritter Kommunity. Born in 2009 out of her passion for pets, Lisa’s vision for Kritter Kommunity was inspired by her kitty cats, Madison and Abigail. With very little cash to start her business, Lisa and her cat Abigail started blogging and tweeting to gain product exposure. They were able to take 100 orders before their new product was even available. A social media enthusiast today, Lisa and her cat Abigail still post and tweet regularly; they have over 15k pet loving followers on Twitter.
This was just the beginning of Lisa’s journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer for the pet industry. Coming out of the gate with no experience starting a business, Lisa took bold steps without knowing which would be mistakes, and which would take her to the next level of success. Tenacity and passion gave her the courage to pitch her own products to media contacts and landed them on many media outlets like Good Morning America. Relationship building and writing put her in a position to develop a solid reputation with the social media world of pet lovers; her furry muses cheering her every step of the way!
Hands on experience, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Pennsylvania State University, more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, and numerous professional awards, Lisa has a strong foundation as she continues her journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer. She inspires others to capitalize on their interests through coaching and writing.
One Reply to “Effectively using Accountability Partners for Business Results”
Yolanda
Great idea! Could be far more effective than a mastermind group because it’s more personal and you are connecting more frequently.
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