Aug 15

Aug 15 Be Accountable to Someone

"If friends were not waiting I would not be up this early to run."

That was my tweet early last Thursday. Wednesday had been a long day and Thursday was a morning I could have slept in, but I didn't because I knew a group, my friends, would be waiting for me...and anyway it was only going to be five miles.

A few hours after the run and the tweet posted I got this reply tweet from @burkedaniel

"Great analogy to the power of fellowship & accountability..."

It wasn't the short run that motivated me nor was it the thought of how great I would feel after accomplishing the run. No, it was because the group was waiting.

This reminded me of how much better I am when I have communicated my intentions to a group. It's this communication that helps me formalize my thoughts, goals and holds me accountable to them.

On the road:

when my running group is waiting I get there
if I can't make it I let them know
because we have communicated a goal we know where we are going
because I am running toward a goal with a team it seems like less work
because we finish together we get to celebrate together

At my job:

I get more accomplished and more efficiently when I let my peers and boss in on my plans
my staff is more productive, efficient and works better as a cohesive team when we talk about individual goals.
sharing goals give opportunity for input, creativity, and clarity
knowing and supporting each other's goals also gives opportunity for fellowship and celebration

Communicating a goal with a team is a great way to get buy-in and accountability and motivation for me.

Are you willing to share your goals with a team?

Does team accountability help you focus on your goals?