As you create new goals, will your negative inner voice jump on your shoulder and remind you of the lack of execution on 2017 goals? As we continue to improve our craft, goal setting plays a key role in helping us make necessary tweaks. To avoid a lackluster year of goal setting, it’s critical to lean on an accountability partner. This is a person you can trust to make you uncomfortable and to really push you (set fire to your ass, sort of). I am not talking about a person you feel comfortable with; I am talking about the person who in service to you, will provide the hard truths.
Who is the right accountability partner and where can you find one?
The right accountability partner in most cases is a leader you worked for in your career who left a great impression. For me, my accountability partner and coach is my former boss, Gerry, who I worked for during my career and is now a close friend. Gerry’s leadership style can be likened to that of Bill Parcells of the NFL or Greg Popovich of the NBA. There was no room for error and your best was required every day. If you wanted to be part of an elite team, you had to be willing to be accountable. For goal setting, this was a perfect set up. Each quarter I would review my goals with Gerry. After each session, he would remind me of the accountability I would be held to. Trust me, there were plenty of times I wish I hadn’t signed up for such a crazy agreement, but in the end, I always grew from the experience. More importantly, with Gerry as a coach, I consistently crushed my goals. As you approach your goal this year, the second-best thing you can do besides ink your goals is to find your Gerry.
Finding the right accountability partner is not as hard or confusing as it may seem. Think of the one person you know who is not afraid to be direct, honest and willing to provide you feedback, not minding that it may not be what you like. Usually, it’s the person who, with a few questions, can get us immediately reflecting on different perspectives. Many times, they ask questions as an inquiry knowing it will take us a few days to come up with the answer. These accountability partners know how to put the pressure on and yet, never push us over the edge.
Because they are direct, they make us hungry for more.
As you finalize your goals, take one more step. Find your accountability partner and invite them to coffee or set up a FaceTime call. Thank them for all they have already done for you and ask if you can lean on them for accountability. Grant them permission to be tough, honest, and direct. Give them an example of how they helped you in the past or how you see them helping others. Set up the logistics, send them a copy of your goals and then be willing to be open.