011: How To Make The Most Of Accountability Pods

Today we're talking about accountability and more specifically how we can get the best out of the accountability pods that we're members of.

So, first of all, what if you're not a member of an accountability pot? Why is it important? What's it all about?

Well, did you know that there was a Harvard study done that saw how people attained their goals and what tactics they were using to help them get over the line? Did you know that if you think about your goals and get some clarity, that way you're 46% likely to achieve them? However, if you also write them down that stat rises to 56%, it's a big leap just for writing them down, but I guess it shows your intentionality behind it.

And get this... if you share your goals, you're now 64% likely to achieve them. And that means sharing them with other people, making public declarations about what you actually want to achieve. But here's where it gets really interesting. When you actually report your weekly progress to your friends or your accountability pod, that goes up to 76% of people hit their goals. What a big jump from 46% from people that just think about it up to 76% when you layer on all those extra elements of accountability. And that is why accountability pods are so helpful and accountability partners too.

Now, if you've ever been on a program, you'll probably have the opportunity to join an accountability pod or have an accountability partner. And it's not that surprising that accountability partners and pods are included in all these programs when you hear the statistics that I've just shared.

What if you're not in an accountability pot or you don't have an accountability partner? Well, I would really encourage you to reach out and find one.

There are a lot of groups in Facebook that you can do that, and you could come to my group which is called Action Taker Tribe, put a post out that you're after an accountability partner, because I really believe it is an essential part of your development and progress to be with company that can really push and encourage you.

And so how do you use an accountability pod? How can you make sure that you're giving and receiving all the support that's necessary? Well, first off it’s really important to meet regularly.

Personally, I think weekly and certainly no less than twice a month is absolutely essential to really get the results from working with your accountability pod.

So how to do that? On zoom. That's my preference. I love the fact that I can see my accountability pod and I'm into accountability pods because I'm such a massive fan of it.

And I jump on to zoom and I can see my pod mates faces. We can talk really intimately and we are friends.

We started out just as strangers being put in a pod, but now they are my best business buddies. They are the people that I turn to first and foremost when I'm making big decisions for my businessor I'm in a conundrum of some sort.

They frequently coach me through my dilemmas, to build me up, to help me overcome my mindset problems. And I do exactly the same for them.

That's the brilliance of being in an accountability pod and what you do within those accountability meetings is really, really important. I know I certainly dropped into some that have become like mothers meetings. We've had a good old natter and it's been thoroughly enjoyable. Like I said, these guys are my friends, but sometimes you have to get down to business.

Particularly if you want your accountability pod to count when it comes to pushing you to achieve your business goals

Make sure that you define how long you guys are going to be on the call for your accountability pod.

If there's three or four of you, how long does each person get to speak? How is it decided perhaps it's just organic and everyone's happy with that. Or perhaps you have 15 minutes each and you really do stick to that. So everybody gets an opportunity to level up every week and you don't go over time, just make sure that you discuss these things with your pod mates upfront. So you know how it's going to work.

This sounds obvious, but it's frequently missed: hold each other accountable!

I think it's really easy to say, Oh, well, you know, you've had a hard week. I know I have too.. let's commiserate! And being gentle, kind and compassionate is a very, very important thing. But the reason that you guys are in these accountability pods is to be accountable to each other. So if you hear your pod mates say that they didn't do it this week, delve a little deeper, why didn't you do it this week? What stopped you? What could you do differently? Could you commit to it this week? When will you do it by? Will you let us know when you've done it? Send us a message!

These are the sorts of things that really help people push themselves through procrastination and overwhelm. If that's you and that's resonating, make sure that your pod mates are holding you accountable by asking you those questions. They're not letting you off the hook.

You don't want to be there in a month or three months’ time not leveling up and your accountability Pod is an essential part of what's going to help you get there. Something else you could consider is to...

Have regular checkpoints as part of the cadence of your accountability pot meetings.

Perhaps once a quarter, you have a check-in session where you actually go back and ask each other, how have you done against your goals this quarter? How are you getting on? You told us three months ago that you would do X, Y, and Z. Have you done it? Have you exceeded expectations? What stopped you? How can we help you?

Have an opportunity to really take a step back, be the CEO for your business and be the board of directors for each other.

You know how much I love talking about being a CEO and how much I believe that being a high achieving CEO for your own business is the best way of getting from A to B most directly with the least overwhelm - it's about intentionality and accountability. Pods are really important element of that.

When I think about the boardroom, I know that the CEO sits there with her board directors and everyone is held accountable. Everyone must be playing their part to build the business and be achieving the overall vision.

And although you may be building your individual businesses, the same analogy still exists.

You need to raise each other up, be in each other's corner, you need to also push each other and hold each other accountable.

So if you haven't got yourself into an accountability pod as yet, I hope this has inspired you to go fishing, to go and find the perfect people to help you level up, or perhaps some of what I've shared today has resonated with you in your existing accountability pods. Go back the next time you chat and just make sure that you're really making the most of your time together, support each other as best as you can. And hold yourself to new levels of accountability that will see your businesses soar. So if you have enjoyed this episode today, please do share it with your pod mates, share it with others that will find this useful for leveling up their businesses. And I will see you again next week.