It is not always easy to achieve the desired working results. If you can’t do it alone, business coaches recommend finding an “accountable partner.” Who is this and how can it be useful?
“I see the goal, I see no obstacles” – if this proverb is not about you, you should think about why this is happening. If you’re putting off tasks until tomorrow, don’t know how to approach difficult cases, and feel like all your efforts are in vain, you’re not alone.
The Talent Development Association (an American non-profit organization that supports the development of the abilities of employees of various companies) calculated what is the likelihood that we will achieve our goals and studied what factors influence the result. If you just have an idea or a goal, there is only a 10% chance that you will fulfill your plan.
If you set a specific time for yourself by which your task must be completed, the probability rises to 40%. If you make a promise to someone that you will do what is planned, 65% in favor of the fact that it will happen.
But if you want to achieve your goals 95 times out of 100, business coaches Gary Henson and Joe Littell suggest finding yourself an “accountability partner”. Who is that? Let’s find out with the experts.
Eye for an eye
Accountability is our willingness to take responsibility and be accountable to someone for our actions. By entering into an accountable partnership, we hold our associate accountable for his actions, and he holds us accountable for our accomplishments. Being on an equal footing, not being bound by a boss-subordinate relationship, you can really help each other, business coaches say.
How does this happen? You and your partner regularly report to each other on the status of your affairs at pre-arranged meetings. You can share with each other information about the progress and the difficulties that you had to face. Your support motivates your partner to achieve goals, and he does the same for you. Coaches joke: “If this is true, then why hasn’t everyone thought of finding themselves an “accountable partner” yet?
The answer is simple: not everyone is mentally prepared for this. Such relationships can only be the result of your personal decision. If this path is forced, involuntary, most likely, the trick will not work. It requires a high level of personal involvement in a common cause and unquestioning fulfillment of obligations to a “colleague”.
Choosing the “right” accountable partner
The economic rule, known as the “Pareto principle”, says that 20% of your actions will lead to 80% of your results (and the remaining 80% of actions will give 20% of the result). And this applies to both positive and negative outcomes.
Business coaches say that a well-chosen accountable partner will bring you five times more value than someone who is not particularly suitable for you. And how well you have chosen a partner for yourself will determine the success of your business.
You should look for a colleague who will encourage you to act actively and consistently and expect high achievements from you. People who are willing to put more responsibility on others will expect you to act symmetrically. The stronger, more experienced your partner, the more interesting and high results you will achieve.
You should not choose a close friend for this role. And here’s why: close people are afraid to offend us and bring the “baggage” of your joint past into the workspace. Mutual projections and prejudices will reduce the level of your responsibility to each other – and therefore will not allow you to reach the finish line.
How does it work?
Business coaches cite several factors that make accountable partnerships an effective means to achieve goals. Your partner expects you to work to the maximum, and you try not to let him down – and require him to do the same.
You get honest feedback and can learn from someone you trust. In addition, a comrade-in-arms has his own unique experience and therefore can predict what obstacles you are at risk of encountering. In the same way, he can see new opportunities where you would not notice them.
When we take responsibility and strictly comply with the agreements, the level of trust in us grows.
“How many times have you tried your best but never achieved your goals? Are your dreams worth serious effort? What would your life look like if you were doing 95% of what you planned? And what success could you achieve with the participation of someone who holds you in charge and helps to identify “blind spots”? coaches ask.
Harry Henson and Joe Littell are confident: “When we take responsibility and strictly follow the agreements, the level of trust in us grows. And when others believe that we will behave in a certain way, we try not to let them down, and new habits become part of our personality. All this increases self-esteem, develops character and ultimately improves professional reputation.