THE VALUE OF ACCOUNTABILITY BUDDIES

Every business wants growth. Or, at the very least, to maintain it’s perfect flow of consistent work. No matter how big or small your company is, you can’t go it alone. People are the core of your success.

Good leaders ask for help. It’s not how smart, approachable or visionary you may be, but rather how you help your team work together. These leaders see the path to success as a group effort, instead of a personal one.

Let me share one secret weapon to boost collaboration, get results and build your business. I like to call it ‘accountability buddies.’

It’s like a mentor on a level playing field 

An accountability bud is a colleague-to-colleague partnership designed to help a company grow by holding team members to their commitments. Both workers know their own tasks and their ‘bud’ makes sure they get done – through a method of encouragement, guidance, and offering their input.

This works great even if you’re a small business. Buds can help each other identify weaknesses, make plans to overcome them, and hold each other accountable to growth.

For the relationship to work, it’s important to pair your employees well. For example, it’s best to avoid someone who is brutally honest with a shy person who’s new to the business. While honesty is best, it’s the delivery of the information that’s also important. Think about the different mix of personalities and use this to match your accountability buds.

Tip: Get your team to take the free Tick personality questionnaire first.

Be clear with expectations 

To set the tone of the relationship, be clear about parameters. There are times one bud will want input and other times they just need someone to listen. Clarify this in the beginning to make sure the relationship is mutually beneficial. The simplest way to do this is to allocate an equal amount of time to spend discussing and brainstorming each partner’s work. Plan how many projects and commitments each are taking on, and turn goals into weekly tangible steps. Be consistent with the day and time you check in each week.

Agree on consequences, good & bad 

Both buds should know what happens if they do (or don’t) complete what they set out to do. Whether it’s simply admitting they fell short or something a little more serious – like cleaning the office for the week – consequences keep people motivated and engaged.

Having someone hold you accountable works well because you feel bad if you let them down. There’s great power in this.

We can all find hundreds of excuses not to do what you say you’re going to do. But if there’s someone standing by your side giving you a soft nudge, it helps you move things forward.