Accountability Group or Support Group

   Recently I posted that most of the groups I observed were support groups rather than networking accountability groups. A few folks have asked me to define the difference.  As I thought about that question I asked myself what are the goals of the two groups? Each benefits its members. But each type of group has a different focus, tone and outcome.


Focus

   The principle focus of the accountability group is for its members to achieve a new job or new career, and to utilize the dynamics of a group to change something in ourselves in order to achieve the next step in our career. The support group is there to help someone through a transition. The support group is a safe place to talk about pain and fears and is focused on healing. 


Tone
   While accountability groups should also be as safe a place to talk about ideas and feelings, it is primarily a business meeting with goals, metrics and recognition. The tone of the meeting should be “what business do we need to get done?” The support group really doesn’t have an agenda except that everyone who has a need to heal and feel supported is heard. The hope is that those who feel supported can then feel stronger in the things they need to do for their transition. The support group is more warm and fuzzy without specific measurables. 


Outcome
   The outcome of the accountability group is that everyone finds the next job. Job transition is primarily a sales job and most people looking for work are not trained sales people nor are they prepared to overcome the rejection that comes as part of the sales process. Having a group to help its members focus on the mechanics of the job search via the power of positive peer pressure is the way of accountability groups.  The support group is about healing and having the energy to make the person go. A successful group will answer the question, “Does everyone in the group feel better now?” And hopefully the answer is yes. 

   Finally, both groups’ objectives are to help the members grow and change. So they are not mutually exclusive and one could be a member of either or of both groups because in the end they fulfill different needs.  If anyone in the Western Suburbs of Chicago is looking for a transition support group might I suggest St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn, IL. They have an intimate group that meets on Wednesday Mornings.  Contact me if your are interested in St. Barnabas’ group or starting either a networking accountability group or a transitions support group.

Accountability Groups Findings

   Over the summer I did some observing of groups reporting to be accountability groups. This wasn’t  a long, controlled research project... I just went around to check out six different Networking Accountability Groups and I learned a lot.

   I met with six groups in Chicago’s western suburbs. The largest group had eight members and the smallest had three. (This group just had two members land job and hadn’t replaced them during the time of my visits.) The average size of a group was five.

   Only one of the meetings I attended began on time. Most of the groups had 100% attendance with phone calls to alert the group if someone was going to be absent. Most meetings lasted between an hour and 90 minutes. Most of the groups have been meeting for over a year with the newest group meeting for less that six months.
 
   Every group but the newest saw some level of success. One group measured and track members status and they had high turnover in their group. Turnover is defined as members who find full time regular or contract work and no longer meet with the group. AKA: Success!

   While these observations only produced anecdotal data, there are some conclusions that are somewhat obvious. Most of the groups I observed would more correctly be called “Support Groups” rather than accountability groups because they are run in a very relaxed manner. Most groups meeting are made up of people reporting their status in an ad hoc manner and many of the folks never mention to the group what their goals are for the next week.

Other observations:

• Groups focus on the meeting and not on one another’s accomplishments for the week
• Groups pass leads among one another which became the goal of the meeting
• All groups had a non elected but clear leader instead of the leadership role being shared
• Groups were relaxed without a formal agenda
• One group used the “St. Hubert’s Accountability Check List” by its members
• No group collected and shared accountability data with the group members

I would suggest the following for all groups.

1. Increase the level of commitment from members
2. Have a formal contract to help create a more “business like” atmosphere
3. Set meeting start & stop times and agenda
4. Focus on members’ activity and accomplishments in their job search
5. Select and use an “Accountability Check List” -- see Google Docs Forms
6. Collect and report on members activity and accomplishments using a spreadsheet

Be accountable and succeed!

In theory, all the members of the group are looking for full time work. They all have the same goal and in times of weakness the members need to count on the group to fill the role of the boss or customer holding the expectation that the member will deliver what was promised. It's kind of silly that human beings will quit on themselves but not quit on a commitment they made to a group or even one other person. This is the power of an accountability group to give it's members the motivation to do the hard work of job search. So when the group holds it members accountability in a safe and honest manner, everyone wins.

How do accountability groups hold you accountable?

   The short answer is that they don’t; you have to hold yourself accountable first. Accountability groups help its members hold themselves accountable. It’s important to know what the group can help you with. You need to know how to utilize the power of such a group.  The group can...


... offer support and comradeship during a difficult time
If you are a small business owner who doesn’t like sales or a job seeker looking for the next opportunity you are basically on your own. If you succeed or fail you have no one to answer to, except yourself. Frankly this is lonely.  It is difficult to do sales or a job search and experience rejection with no support system. If you have a group who is going through the same kind of experiences you feel less alone. And you can pump one another up from time to time. While you are still on your own, you not all alone.

... clarify your goals and help you to stay focused
When you are on your own as either a job seeker or as an entrepreneur you are alone. If you were working in a job with peers and colleagues around, you can bounce ideas off people. As a single force in the world, having a group to bounce ideas off of can help in qualifying and quantifying your goals. With an accountability group to check in with, a conflicting goal or action can be identified and put into check; allowing you to remain focused on key goals and actions. If a goal is too big and requires a mini goals to be identified a group can point this out to you.

... provide some motivation to meet goals
Many of us are too easy on ourselves and accept our own rationalizations without question. The accountability group is a place to announce your goals and then report your status. Telling someone makes the goal real. Putting a date to a goal gives it a sense of urgency. When you’ve communicated the goal with a date to a group you’re more motivated to make the goal happen. Most of us hate to tell someone that we didn’t do what we said we would do. Also when you don’t feel like doing what you need to, having a group to report to gives you a proper kick to do it anyway.

   With the support and backing of a group of people who have made a commitment to aid in each other’s success by holding one another accountability -- you can achieve you sales or job seeking goals. The commitment is key. Each member needs to commit to personal responsibility, to attend meetings regularly, to ask questions of the other group members--even tough questions, and to expect one another to do the same for you and the group.