Secret # 1 Accountability
When we partner and connect with others, we should have integrity as our foundation. A partnership should be focused on all about the other person. If you have hidden agendas, the partnership will not work in the capacity that you are intending.
Think about these questions:
How can you truly serve them?
Will you be present when they have asked you to be?
What will your actively listening look and feel like for them?
Will you need to disengage in other activities so that you can help them to shine and be in the moment with them?
If you answer yes to these questions, you are well on your way to being an incredible accountability partner. There is a lot of exchanging of ideas and trust that is built during this connection. The bottom line about being accountable is to:
Show up when you say you will. Integrity is all about them. They are first.
Communication is the queen. Speak clearly and often. Send emails and reminders. Don’t assume. (We all know where that can lead. LOL!).
Deliver the information and supports with honesty and love. They will respond in kind.
Secret # 2 Be Present
I see you. I hear you. I am in the moment with you. Being present during your conversations and meetings is of vital importance. When the partnership feels that you are in the moment with them, they build trust with you and know that you care about their work.
Clear your mind. Push pause on the agenda, the timeline, and the to-do list.
Breathe; it is simple and yet the essential thing to bring your body present.
Have an open heart; I think of this as being the ultimate supporter. You want to know what is going on and allow your heart to weigh in.
Be curious; asking questions for clarification for you allows them to clarify as well.
Judgment free meaning condemning. I like to use the phrase, “can you tell me more about that?” Or, “I’m wondering….”
Secret # 3 Be Ever Learning
Be ever learning. While we know a lot and can share our expertise with many, we still don’t know it. If you don’t know the answer, tell them, share that you will help to discover it with them, and be a part of their light together.
I know that some questions can feel like they will expose us as less than an expert than we thought, or that a skill we are still learning might be discredited if we let others know that we have a few blind spots. Being “ever learning” can place us in a very vulnerable situation. We have to make a choice that we are connecting to the needs of the person, and if we find that it is not a great fit, then share it with them.
If we are ever curious and searching for more information, then we are in a growth mindset pattern. A growth mindset pattern will bless the lives of our partnerships. I say pattern because, as I have learned in life, there is more time when we ebb and flow with different abilities as we strengthen our weaknesses.
If we are ever learning with the people we help, we can maximize growth and potential.
Final thoughts, if you can pull out of yourself, your needs, and your desires to serve others, that service will provide you with more opportunities and blessings than you can see at the moment. I have learned one thing from being an entrepreneur, serve, and show up with my light. Miracles happen from there. Good luck with finding an accountable partnership. May it work out for you.
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