For any entrepreneur looking to succeed, having an accountability partner is crucial to your growth. The concept of having someone to lean on when times get tough and someone to cheer you on as you make strides toward your goals is an age-old idea. Society has made it perfectly acceptable and almost imperative to have accountability partners throughout lives and our activities.
Take children for example, they look to and lean on their parents for encouragement and growth, they also need to be held accountable as they age so that they can learn responsibility. We send our kids to school so that teachers can impart the wisdom and knowledge on our little ones. Teachers hold them accountable and help them grow.
"Having an accountability partner is an unfair advantage. For those seeking major success in their lives, it’s an incredible opportunity."
ThriveGlobal.Com
Accountability partners aren’t just for workouts and fitness anymore. Knowing someone is counting on you and pushing you to succeed is a proven process that works.
“The American Society of Training and Development found that people are 65 percent likely to meet a goal after committing to another person. Their chances of success increase to 95 percent when they build in ongoing meetings with their partners to check in on their progress.”
Entrepreneur.com
So What is an Accountability partner?
An accountability partner can be many things, but in it’s simplest form, it is someone that will hold one accountable to your actions.
Whether it is a mentor, a coach, a teacher or a friend; having someone to help guide you in the right direction can significantly increase your opportunities for success.
Benefits of Having an Accountability Partner:
- They kickstart Your motivation
- Help brainstorm and ideate with you
- They Monitor your progress and check in with you on a regular basis
- They help you take ownership
Unstructured Accountability Partnerships
Peer Networks
Peer-to-peer networks offer two-way communication that enable entrepreneurs and leaders to learn from one another and share their own experiences.
Connecting with like-minded individuals will require putting yourself out there a bit either through social media groups, meeting and keeping in touch with people from conferences or trade shows or even local entrepreneur groups.
It can be connecting with one person or a multitude of individuals that elevate the conversation to create a growth orientated space to discuss goals, ideas and opportunities.
You will not connect with everyone you meet, but go with your intuition when you meet someone that inspires or feeds your interest. Be sure to keep up with those people consistently, check in with them, be open and authentic and you will be rewarded with a fulfilling relationship that feeds your focus.
Mentors
Some entrepreneurs prefer to be held accountable on a more personal level, enacting a one-on-one relationship with an individual who is experienced in a particular field and has achieved a high level of success.
Mentors are not always the easiest to find. Typically, you may find mentors within a work setting, they may be introduced through mutual acquaintances or you might find them through networking.
Structured Accountability Partners
Entrepreneur Mastermind
Another great option is to join a peer group of like-minded individuals. You want to look for a space that has a group of similar types of entrepreneurs. The objective is to leverage the group to help you grow in your biz, answer questions, and challenge one another to take your goals to the next level. Typically, masterminds may have a fee or a charge to be a part of them, especially if they have a structured curriculum and intended outcomes.
Today, It is easier than ever to find a mastermind online that will suit your interest, connect with those on your level and elevate your strategies. If this interests you…take a gander online and across social media. Reach out to like-minded friends and see if they have any ideas of masterminds to follow or inquire about.
What’s the difference between a Life Coach and a Business Coach?
A life coach focuses on mindset and will help individuals work through their path (not necessarily business driven). They create a trusting relationship where they encourage and council on a broad range of issues from personal to transitional life stages.
Let’s Talk Business Coaches and Consultants….What’s the Diff?
Either one you choose you will find that they may have a specialized niche or they may be across the board.
Business Coach
A business coach is a partner and a visionary. They typically provide a more structured and potentially more formal format. They will help you develop your purpose and motivate you to achieve your largest goals. Business coaches may vary on expertise, so it is important to find one that suits your needs.
Their focus’ looks at the big picture of your business by facilitating growth, mentoring, and serving as an accountability partner.
They help you develop the skills you already have and provide you with the tools to and understanding of how to grow your business. A coach will work with you through obstacles and offer solutions along with support.
Typically, business coaches work through mindset, clarity, vision casting, time management, brainstorming, accountability, implementation, reducing overwhelm and developing your skills.
Business Consultant
A business consultant is an expert & adviser. Business consultants bring their technical expertise to you and advise on how to solve your problems.
A business consultant teaches you skills you don’t know, gather data, analyze your business and create an action plan for you to implement.
They are well versed in business planning and strategy, which they use to help gauge the direction and scalability of your business.
Business consultants analyze the goals you have for your business and help you create the plan of action required for you to accomplish those goals.
Typically, they focus in the areas of business planning, strategy, direction, social media, marketing, customer acquisition & retention, websites, systems, process and conversion optimization.
How to Find an Accountability Partner
The single most important element when choosing an accountability partner is communication. You need to ensure that no matter the type of partner that you choose that your communication style jives with one another. You need to ensure that this partnership has consistent meetings.
Some Additional Accountability Partner Considerations:
Honesty
You need to ensure that the person you are planning on leveraging as an accountability partner tells it how it is. Without honesty, sugar-coating the truth will get you nowhere. Having someone that drives home the reality of where you are at and is able to see the big picture will give you a honest representation of where you’re at and what is realistic and achievable.
Reliability
You need to be able to count on the individual and rely on them being there for you on a consistent basis.
Competence
Ensuring that your accountability partner holds some of the skills that you lack is crucial to helping you grow and leverage knowledge that you do not currently have. You wouldn’t go to a class that you have already taken would you? Nor would you work with someone that does not have the knowledge you need to propel you to reach your goals.
Trustworthy
You will find yourself in a space where your discussions may lead to some in depth conversations. That said, you will want to ensure that your accountability partner is a confidant. Someone that you feel comfortable opening up to and your confident that what is said stays in that space.
Clarity
The individual that you recruit must be able to see the larger picture of where you are looking to go and provide you with the tools to work through your vision and be able to help you see the path of getting there.
Why Hire a Coach or a Consultant Versus having an Accountability Partner?
Great question! A coach or a consultant is not for everyone, but it can provide you with a couple of key benefits...
- You get guaranteed one-on-one practical advice and attention from an objective resource
- A coach or a consultant has been where you are. Whether you're in the midst of building a business or launching a product, this person has been there and knows the keys to making it a success. Basically they have already taken the steps you are about to embark on and have done the digging for you.
- When you invest in a coach or a consultant you are making an effort to take your business and your projects seriously!
- You have someone that cares about your results. They are dedicated to ensuring you succeed.
Not sure on whether you want a coach or a consultant? Read this...
Honestly, I think you need both to run a successful business! I think that building a relationship with your coach / consultant creates a level of trust and mentorship that cannot be matched by just one form or the other.
I believe in that so strongly, that I decided that I wanted to be both to my clients. Operating as a coach/consultant hybrid, I embed the clarity, accountability and motivation with the more technical side of business, such as: sales, marketing, and strategy planning. This gives clients the best of both worlds.
If you’re trying to decide which service you need right now, here’s a great way to look at it —
A coach is like a partner, while a consultant is more like an advisor... make sense?
So, as your deciding what you need, think about:
- Your current mindset and the type of support you would prefer.
- What you know about running a business.
- The results you would like to reach.
Then, start making a solid effort to get on some discovery calls with those ideal candidates.
Remember, you gotta shop around to find a pair of shoes that fit just right!
The first, second or third person you talk to may not be your person, however take your time and you will know when the right individual connects to your vibe.
Be sure to be forward about the support you are wanting and what you are looking for.
P.S. Here at Reinvent Your Hustle, I offer a complimentary 30-minute strategy session for those service-based businesses who are seeking business support and ready to take their business to the next level.
If you already have someone to lean on that is great, but if you're looking for more of a strategic partnership to break through to the next level of your biz then let's talk.
My program, Reinvent Your Strategy works to unlock all the fundamentals of your service-based business and strategize the road map you need to grow and scale your biz.
It’s a 1:1 intensive coaching / consulting program that combines the ideal level of support, expertise and guidance, to help you fast-track your income, elevate your brand, and have the right systems in place to transform your strategy into tangible results.
You can schedule your free first discovery call here so that we can be sure our vibe meshes or contact me to see how it would work for your business.
