What is an accountability group?

An accountability group is a gathering of people having the same set of goals. They meet regularly to track each other’s progress and provide the support and encouragement needed to reach each individual’s goals.

A typical meeting encourages group members to share their target goals for the week and their commitment to take action. They will then be asked to report about their progress at the next meeting.

Below are 7 reasons why joining an accountability group is important:

1. Community

As they’d say, “No man is an island”. People are built for connections. Even those who describe themselves as introverts also have their own social connections aside from their immediate families. An accountability group provides that “sense of belongingness”. Moreover, since you’re not engaging with just one person, you’ll get to hear different perspectives and types of support from other group members.

2. Sharing of Knowledge

Since members in an accountability group have almost similar goals, it’s a good place to be in to share ideas and do brainstorming. Members can instantly share solutions or suggestions when a fellow member gets stuck.

3. Motivation

Knowing that other group members will be checking on you is enough motivation to take action and make sure that you’re inching your way towards achieving your goals. No matter how slow it is, progress is still better than perfection. And imagine the feeling of celebrating success with others when you reach those goals!

4. Safe Place

Negative self-talk is one of the stumbling blocks of a freelancer. Imagine talking only to yourself after countless rejections! Having people around you to share your latest failures and for them to listen to you with no judgment is already enough to keep your sanity in check.

5. Inspiration

Imagine being part of a football team where the coach and players are so driven to win. An accountability group can serve the same purpose. You can’t help but draw inspiration from other members who are making progress and hitting their goals. When you hear them share how they did it, it will give you the encouragement and reminder that “if they were able to do it, so can you!”

6. Sharing of Resources

Freelancers almost always encounter the same problems and challenges in running their businesses. Having an accountability group makes it faster for everyone to find solutions especially if there are already members in your group who are already considered experts in their fields. It is very likely that they will share the tools, strategies and techniques to help resolve your issues. This eliminates the need to figure out the solutions on your own.

7. Network

We learn from different business books the importance of networking. Author and business expert, Susan RoAne said, “It’s not what you know or who you know, but who knows you”. When you’re involved in an accountability group, your network automatically expands. You can consider your fellow member’s network as an extension of your own network. Having an accountability group gives you the opportunity to improve on your KLT (Know-Like-Trust) factor. It would be easy for anyone in the group to recommend you to their own clientele.

Summary

The above list is just a few reasons why we should consider an accountability group as a powerful tool. If you are a freelancer looking for one, feel free to join our community here. This is a safe place for people to share their own freelancing stories, experiences, tips and strategies. See you inside!