A Powerful Tactic for Personal and Professional Growth
3.02.2015
Networking is good, but it doesn’t go far enough. Friends are essential, but they are usually reluctant to ask the tough questions. You need more than this to grow.
I was talking with a young pastor last week who wanted to know what he should be doing for his ongoing professional development. I suggested that he could simply do what I do; get together with a friend for an annual retreat to help each other grow. He was intrigued by my description of how I benefit from those retreats. I tried to describe what we do and it made me wonder, “Exactly what do we do anyway?”
During the course of a 3-4 day retreat, the two of us cover a wide range of topics. We check in on how each of us is doing personally and spiritually. We talk about how we are each doing as husbands and fathers. We are helping each other solve business problems. We read a book beforehand and discuss it together. We each bring a new consulting tool or technique to teach each other. We think aloud about the future. We watch intriguing DVDs in the evenings. We talk about balance in life and what we each aspire to accomplish while we are still living and breathing.
During the rest of the year, we schedule one-hour phone calls every two or three months to catch up on what we are accomplishing. Intentionally, we have created a natural environment for powerful accountability to occur.
Most of us do not have the level of accountability that we inwardly hope for. We do not have friends who will ask the hard questions. We do not have a “repair shop” where we can open up our lives and someone else can have a look around and help us fix some things and set some new goals.
Wouldn’t it be great to have this kind of group where you could talk about life and work and get help solving real problems? These kinds of gatherings are called “peer accountability groups” or “peer advisory boards.” These groups can be any size, but 2-5 members is optimal. You can meet once a year, once a quarter, or once a month. You can gather at a retreat center, at a restaurant, or in a home.
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a group of true peers who could provide the level of accountability that would effectively help you achieve balance in life and help you identify and achieve your goals? Here is how you can launch your own group.
1. Decide what aspects of life you want to focus on (spiritual, self-leadership, family, business, or all of the above).
2. Find one or more true peers who have an interest in the same goals and topics.
3. Agree on the ideal schedule and location for your meetings.
4. Launch and let the level of accountability deepen naturally.
Here is a link to a free article about five levels of accountability.
Wouldn’t it be great to meet regularly with one or more people committed to helping you grow personally and professionally?
