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title: Have an Accountability Program description: [AFW M.1.11.] Michael's Epiphany #11 published: true date: 2026-06-30T08:11:21.381Z tags: editor: markdown dateCreated: 2021-09-11T05:40:50.139Z

"Research shows that making a public oath to perform a behavior increases the likelihood you'll follow through."

“What Gets Measured, Get’s Improved.” -Peter Drucker

Watch Accountability Program YOUTUBE VIDEO


Three Benefits of having an Accountability Program


#1 Hawthorne Effect - Public Confession

People make better choices and perform at a higher level when they know they are being watched by others. The reasoning is simple—when you are held accountable for your actions, you will work harder. In other words, the primary accountability benefit is that you will achieve (or stick with) a goal when you receive constant feedback from others.

The most famous example is the Hawthorne effect. In 1950 Henry A. Landsberger was analyzing experiments conducted between 1924 and 1932 at the Hawthorne Works, a Western Electric factory near Chicago. The factory had commissioned the study to see if workers would be more productive in higher or lower levels of light. The researchers noticed that the workers’ productivity improved when the study began and slumped when it ended. In the end, the researchers suggested that the workers’ increase in productivity was the direct result of being under the watchful eyes of outside observers.

We are all human, and, as such, it’s easy to make mistakes. You might start working toward a new goal and have every intention of following through with it, but rarely does that good feeling last more than a few days. You usually get sidetracked by “life” and quickly forget about continuing with your goal.

Stop to consider your own life for a moment. How many times have you set a goal, started to work on it and then quit a few days later? From half-completed housing projects to that “extreme” exercise program advertised on television, we’ve all experienced high levels of motivation that are quickly followed by a change in attitude.

There are many reasons it’s hard to stick to a new routine; however, one of the main reasons you don’t follow through is because you lack of accountability.


#2: You get honest feedback from others

Asking questions is one of the best ways to get feedback on a specific activity. Everyone views the world differently because our “lens” is tinted by our own experiences, knowledge and education. The things we believe are common sense are often not fully understood by others. With external accountability, you consistently have people in your life who ask: “Why is this important?” or “How does this action relate to your goal?” Being challenged like this is a good thing because it forces you to closely examine each goal and make sure it’s your best course of action.


#3: Learn from the successes and failures of others

It’s been said that failure is often our best teacher. It’s not fun to make mistakes, but when you learn hard lessons, these experiences help you make better decisions down the road. That said, a major benefit of accountability is the opportunity to learn important lessons without going through the painful process of making your own mistakes. Just talking to someone, whether it be a mentor, coach, peer, or member of a mastermind group, gives you opinions and real-life experiences to help you avoid pitfalls that would cost you time, money or a combination of both. Accountability also makes it easier to identify challenges that you might not have initially considered. Perhaps you’re too emotionally involved to predict a potential setback. It doesn’t matter what your goal is; there will always be challenges that seem to come from nowhere.


Hints & Tips

  1. I recommend an Accountability Group of three to twenty members. Two is not really a "group" but a "buddy" system, which is okay but with only two people they may become too comfortable with each other. More than twenty and it may become unwieldy.
  2. The two most important metrics to report on are 1) prospecting attempts, daily; and 2) 1st visit appointment conducted per week. Other activity is fine too, but prospecting and appointments are mandatory confessions.
  3. Use an electronic group messaging system, such as a Telegram Group. Allow members to post either daily or immediately after their activity.
  4. Encourage members to be brutally honest about others' (lack) of activity without being disrespectful.
  5. If you have no activity, still report that.


Use The AdvisorFirst MasterMind Telegram Chatroom

  • Our Advisors MasterMind Chatroom also serves as an Accountability Group.
  • Please comment everyday (at least Monday through Friday) even if you don’t have anything to report. Please don’t skip a day, the whole point is to be accountable.
  • Many of us are in different times zones and we have varying sleep schedules. So you may have a east-coast-early-to-bed vs a west-coast-night-owl. So, you find yourself getting a hangout notification "late" at night, or "early" in the morning. The solution is to lower/turn off your ringer before going to bed, NOT "leaving" the Chat Room.
  • There are two basic reasons:
  • Public confession. To communicate to the group what you are doing. By seeing the activity of your fellow peers you’re motivated to continue to work hard.
  • Education. You get to see the examples of how others are daily working on the growth of their business. You learn and therefore are able to have more tools available in your pursuit of prospecting.


Testimonials

"It keeps me motivated! I know that I have to post regardless of daily outcome, so I prefer to at least try to do something to feel better!" -Omar Berrocal

"I am totally pumped about this program. As a part timer who has the distraction of a full time JOB, I find it helps me focus on prospecting earlier in the day and I stay focused all day long on helping others, aka prospecting." -Doug Sample