Posted by Last week, I spoke with a client who was launching her business, between moving countries and finding her feet amidst legal and bureaucratic challenges. She was buzzing with creativity but bogged down by inaction – it all felt rather overwhelming. As we talked through it, I felt like more than anything, she needed an accountability partner.
The origins
Accountability dates back to ancient times. In ancient Egypt, leaders were expected to explain their decisions to their communities. Philosophers in ancient Greece further explored the idea that those in power should be responsible for their citizens. The concept gained renewed traction during the Enlightenment period when the separation of powers demanded greater transparency from public officials. This evolution continued into modern bureaucratic and corporate systems, where accountability is now a cornerstone for ensuring ethical conduct, transparency, and performance in both governance and business. We now talk about accountability in politics all the time, and accountability to shareholders and society. But what about creating accountability to ourselves? To our own goals and plans?
Today’s Accountability
We have come to realize that having an accountability partner can greatly enhance how we reach our goals or how we keep a habit. A few years back, Hubby B and some friends created a running group within their subset of friends. One by one, others started joining and, today, the original friends group is probably the same as the running group. Not surprisingly, they are all fitter and more focused on their health. They have a points system to keep them honest and they seek to post on it every time they exercise (I think you are allowed to do more than running, but I am not as privy to all the information!).
In the beginning, I must say the group annoyed me a bit. There was a lot of pressure going around, no doubt. However, I came to recognise how that accountability group, which they intentionally created as a separate chat group from their usual friends’ conversations, had a significant positive impact on their health and lifestyle.
Peer pressure when used for good is a successful form of accountability.
Why does it work?
I tried to do some research about the rationale behind accountability partners being a reliable and positive source of peer pressure. Here are the 3 main reasons on why it can work:
- Social Pressure – by sharing your goals with someone, you create a sense of obligation that makes you less likely to back out. It is no surprise that you see people formally launching businesses, announcing they will do a big marathon or the like. Part is marketing, but a good part is also making a public commitment to stay the course. I did so myself when I formally launched Inside the Business Mind on Linkedin in October. I wasn’t fully ready, and I guess I never would be. But by launching it I made a commitment to spend an increasing amount of time on it and be open about it with my network.
- Regular Feedback and Support – an accountability partner provides consistent, constructive feedback and encouragement. This external perspective keeps you on track and also allows you to see more clearly when you are not on track. For my gratitude practice, myself and 2 friends started a sharing group more than 5 years ago. The 3 of us were trying to form this new habit and we knew this would keep us accountable. When someone does not post into the group for a while, the others enquire and reach out. Not with judgment but with concern that something is throwing us off balance. It has been transformational for me and brought me closer to these 2 friends on opposite ends of the world than ever before.
- Clarification and Reinforcement: The process of discussing and setting clear goals, processing changes and reframing transitions forces you to articulate your perspective and check your arguments. With the add-on of regular check-ins, it can be the best way to keep your priorities in focus and figure out with a partner (or more) why you have not prosecuted your original goals. In 2019, I joined an HBS Women Circle in London and it was a great forum to keep ourselves in check and progress on different life and career objectives. Yes, sometimes progress might only have been made in the week running up to our meet-up, but it is still more progress than none.
What does the research say?
These days, I am getting a bit obsessive about finding out whether all these claims of time management, productivity, self-improvement and the like hold in a scientific context. I find some of these statements are so easy to make but truly difficult to back up. Especially if some research is (rightly so) behind paywalls. Despite the difficulties, it is worth pointing to a few research pieces:
- Locke and Latham goal-setting theory highlights that public commitment is a way to solidify one’s goal commitment—when you state your goal openly, you increase the social pressure and self-imposed accountability to follow through.
- Self-determination theory tells us that when feedback is delivered in an autonomy-supportive, non‐controlling manner, it primarily enhances intrinsic motivation. (Deci & Ryan)
- Structured accountability and regular check-ins reinforce your objectives and help keep your priorities in focus, leading to higher performance and more consistent progress (HBR)
I am pleased to find that the evidence supports the claim, as well as my empirical experience.
Finding an accountability partner
Let’s say you are sold on the idea of finding an accountability partner. But how do you even find one? I have seen many forms of accountability partnerships forming (and dissolving), so here are a few ideas on how to get started:
- A like-minded friend: that is your easiest start. However, an important part of accountability is that you hold that person’s opinion highly so you do feel like you want to deliver on the goal. Not out of fear, out of honouring your commitment
- A business network: often people go to networking events to sell their business but, more often than not, they go to find people they relate to and can work with. A business network is a great way to identify potential partners as that can help you find people in the same stage of business (or just slightly ahead) that can form a strong support peer group. In the C-IWIB, we have been seeing quite some interesting partnerships forming after only 3 months!
- An online community: if you find it hard to get out of your space or can’t find the right support locally, there are multiple communities online. I must say Amela is one of my favourites as it joins the online and the offline connectivity, blending mentoring and peer support. But I am an investor, so I am biased! I find communities are particularly powerful when facilitating structured masterminds.
- An alma matter: I recognise this is not part of the culture in all countries, and perhaps it is my HBS influence. But I do find that alma matters, even if MANY years later, can provide an excellent network to find people who have crossed paths with you at a certain point and perhaps it is time your paths cross again.
- A co-working space: not wanting to add costs to a bootstrapped entrepreneur, the reality is many of these spaces proliferate precisely because they provide a network of people that are very often in the same mind-space and looking for connection, as they lack teams to brainstorm and process wins and frustrations with.
For solo business owners, an accountability partner can be the difference between resilience and losing perspective. As such, identifying supportive peers and formally asking them to be part of an accountability partnership can be truly beneficial. It is nice when you feel like you are in the same boat together, even when someone else’s challenges are not your own. Sooner or later, they will be, as you are likely to go through similar difficulties along the way. Or perhaps they have been in the past, and you are the one who can lend perspective. This type of support is meant to be bi-directional. You feel more accountable to partners you trust and you will feel more responsible when people are being accountable to you. It becomes a virtuous circle.
Accountability does not have to be a burden — it can be the catalyst that transforms potential into growth.