Accountability Partner Tips: How to Be an Accountability Partner

An accountability partner is someone who helps you stay on track while you work toward achieving your personal goals. An accountability relationship is a mutual partnership in which you and your partner agree to check in regularly—or even coach each other—and exchange honest feedback as you both move toward specific goals.

Having a good accountability buddy can improve your performance and keep you on track; however, it is still ultimately your responsibility to make sure you reach your goals.

Consider these tips to identify the right accountability partner and maximize your chances of success in an accountability partnership:

1. 1. Avoid choosing a family member. The accountability partner you choose should be kind and respectful but also unafraid to call you out when you miss the mark. For this reason, it’s usually best to choose someone outside your family since a family member might not hold you to your goals.
2. 2. Develop a growth plan and timeline. When it comes to goal setting and the specifics of your arrangement, you and your partner should discuss your mutual and respective goals, ideal timeline, steps, and preferred communication methods. For example, decide whether you will meet up in person or update each other through emails or text messages. The key will be to check in with each other on a regular basis, and a plan will help you take initiative and avoid procrastination. Start brainstorming to create a plan you can both agree on.
3. 3. Keep an open mind. Finding an accountability partner with the same goal or similar interests is useful but not necessary. The right person might or might not have achieved the same level of success or progress toward their goal as you have up to this point. They might have strengths and weaknesses that differ from your own. If both of you bring unique perspectives to the relationship, this could help you see your challenges in a new light and increase your chances for success.

To harness the power of accountability, both individuals must contribute equal effort. Here are tips for being a good accountability partner:

• Agree to be honest. Being truthful with yourself and your partner about the progression of your goals is extremely important for your desired results. Make a deal with your partner to be brutally honest with each other. The journey to holding yourselves accountable might be hard, and showing some tough love could be necessary. But if you put in the hard work together, amazing things could happen, too.
• Practice empathy. You must be empathetic toward your partner. Sometimes things are out of your control, so it’s best you both avoid being judgmental toward each other. You are responsible for fostering a supportive and safe environment free of negative thoughts in which you can grow and learn.
  
• Set a timeline. Since both of you will work toward similar goals within a similar timeframe, it’s important to agree on how you will proceed if one of you completes your goal before the other. Ask your partner what they expect from this partnership and for what amount of time they would like the arrangement to last.
• Understand commitment is key. Your partner must be able to rely on you. Be dependable when it comes to completing your scheduled check-ins and keeping your partner updated on your own progress. Stick to the communication plan the two of you made together so you increase the odds that both of you will reach your SMART goals or other time-bound goals.

MasterClass at Work is the learning platform to help unlock the full potential of your employees and inspire a learning lifestyle in everyone. From negotiation to mindfulness to baking—these are just a few things your teams can explore.