Accountability Partners

Have you ever heard of accountability partners? Do you have an accountability partner?

Here is how this amazing concept works. And it does work extraordinarily well.
1. Find a person who is working towards the same goals as you are.
2. Meet with your accountability partner every week, for an hour, in a neutral location such as a coffee shop.
3. Discuss your future goals and ideas. Laugh and joke about your mistakes. Catch up on gossip.
4. Set one or two goals to reach by next week that will move you towards your long-term goals.
5. When you meet next week review your progress towards the goals and discuss why you were each successful or not in reaching the goals for the week.
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5.

My accountability partner and I meet on Friday evenings at Panera Bread in Glastonbury, CT. We have had such success with our meetings that we are brainstorming ways to share these techniques with Toastmasters throughout District 53 and the surrounding Districts.

This is not a unique concept. In fact, Ed Tate gave us the seed of the idea when we attended a champ camp in January 2007. We have refined the idea and enhanced techniques that will speed up the benefits for others to enjoy when starting the process now.

If you can choose an accountability partner, who will it be? What do you think you should you look for in an accountability partner, to make your partnership a success?