I'm sleeping with one of my coaching clients

The other day my husband asked me to be his coach.  He is a professor and even though he uses really big words, I agreed to help him.  He is going through the tenure process and has a very large load of responsibility, but much like our marketing efforts; there is no one watching over his shoulder making sure things get done.  It's easy to put off the difficult, yet important tasks in favor of the urgent.   Just like I see loan officers handle their marketing.

I don't even understand the tenure process.... but he said that's o.k.  He loves me anyways and still wants me to be his coach.  He needs someone to hold him accountable.  I'm bossy and love to tell him what to do so it's a win-win for both of us.

I do have a moral to this story, even if my gripping headline doesn't suggest it.   Are you accountable to someone?  It doesn't have to be a paid coach or even someone in our industry.  Find someone you can trust that wants to help you succeed.  Here are a few tips on a successful accountability relationship:

1. Trust.  I already mentioned that, but it really is important.  You need to feel safe with this person.
2. Commitment.  Are you truly committed to getting things done and improving?
3. Have weekly, scheduled conversations.  Review the past week's assignments and set goals for the coming week.  
4. Take it one week at a time.  Break things down into manageable pieces.
5. Be honest.  If you struggled, be willing to discuss and ask for help.

You may even want to ask a Realtor or other professional that you have a good relationship with to see if they are interested in doing this with you.  Another loan officer (especially if they are in a non-competing market) or your manager are also good ideas for accountability partners.

 

Comments

[JoAnn Moore]

I teamed up with an accountability partner last January. We meet each month usually for dinner or lunch. She is in direct sales so we're both salespeople and we both need to do marketing and become more and more visable. We've been a great help to each other. It works.