What is an accountability group?
Is your to-do list perpetually growing, no matter how diligent your intentions? An accountability group may be the answer.
An accountability group is a gathering of people who share their goals and support each other in reaching them. The group meets regularly to share their goals for the next week, to report on their progress from the week before, and to offer support to other members. Many groups meet either weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the needs of the members. Accountability groups can be formed for just about anything, from business, entrepreneurship, and leadership to fitness, health, and spirituality.
What are the benefits of an accountability group?
Accountability is a major influence in attaining your goals. The American Society of Training and Development studied accountability and found that people are 65% more likely to reach their goals when they’ve shared them with someone else. Even better, people are 95% more likely to reach their goals when they share them with a group and meet regularly to review them.
How to run an accountability group
Choose your format
Most people who need an accountability group aren’t looking for another long appointment on their calendar. Keep the meetings short, ideally 15-30 minutes, with three rounds.
- Round 1 – Each member checks in with 3-5 words that describe their current emotional state.
- Round 2 – Each member states what last week’s goal was, whether they accomplished it or not and whether they need help, in 2 minutes or less. Other members can offer to help, but they should discuss the details between the two of them after the meeting, not during.
- Round 3 – Each member states their goal for next week. As a closing, members can offer to connect outside of the group to discuss anything else.
Above all, keep the meetings moving quickly and encourage members to discuss ideas, offers for help, and anything else outside of the group. The idea is to host a fast-moving check-in that hits on accountability rather than a deep dive into one member’s obstacles.
Assign a leader
Ideally, members rotate being the leader. The leader begins the meeting, announces the start of the three rounds, and keeps time. Timekeeping is essential. The leader should remind members of their two-minute limit and ask them to discuss anything outside of accountability in a different call or meeting. The leader is also responsible for setting up the next meeting (if you meet in-person) or coordinating the next call, videoconference, or other logistics.
Encourage members to set SMART goals
Ideally, goals will fit the following criteria:
- S – Specific. A goal like “get more sales” is too vague. What kind of sales? Get specific! Fill in the details. “Sell the old inventory of blue shirts” is much more specific.
- M – Measurable. How will you know when you’ve met your goal? Further, clarify the goal by stating “sell $500 in old blue shirts.”
- A – Achievable. Make sure the goal is attainable. If you regularly do $1,000 in sales in one day, setting a goal of selling $10,000 in blue shirts tomorrow might be too aggressive. Stretch yourself, but make it possible.
- R – Relevant. Keep the goal relevant to your long-term plans. You’re trying to sell your old inventory of blue shirts, so maybe this isn’t the time to start selling canoes. Stay focused.
- T – Time-Bound. When will you achieve this goal? Do you want those old blue shirts sitting around for a year? Move them out! Sell them by next week!
A SMART goal for our example would be “sell $500 in old blue shirts by next Friday,” which is much more specific than “get more sales.”
Set logistics for your accountability group
In the spirit of keeping your group meetings short and to the point, I suggest videoconferencing. Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, or a conference call so members don’t have to drive somewhere, park, buy coffee, etc. You could even do a group text message. Keep it easy, short and simple.
Choose your members
A group of 6 is just about right. Find people who are like-minded and in similar situations. You may want to form a group of salespeople, or marketing professionals, or entrepreneurs. While you won’t discuss particular details in the group meeting, members can and should reach out to each other outside of the meeting for support, ideation, or networking.
I’d love to hear about your ideas, and how your accountability group is working out. Please post any comments or questions below, and let me know if I can help!
Matt McLaughlin helps conscious companies build transformational leaders and teams. He has over 20 years of experience building high-performance teams and has practiced and taught meditation for 30 years. He brings a deep passion for companies that foster social and environmental sustainability and views business as a crucial component of societal change.
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