Having goals in a career is a common aspect for all of us, but being accountable for these goals is what shows that we are responsible and are indeed striving for success. 

Goals don’t always reach success, but they can reach even better success when we have someone else helping us work towards them. This means finding a partner to share your ideas and perspectives with, someone who acts as a co-mentor and therefore, together you inevitably achieve real growth.

Accountability is pretty successfully used in the ever-present diet and exercise world, but it works well for shared goals in personal and professional development, Career Contessa, a page dedicated to helping women in cultivating successful careers notes.

The article continues that, by partnering with someone who acts as a co-mentor, you are inevitably taking time to exchange perspectives and ideas, and achieve real growth. Instead of battling your own spiralling internal thought processes, you can have meaningful scheduled meetings with your buddy. 

Your successful partnership is going to hinge on who you choose to partner with. 

Jean Felix Muyisenge, a journalist says that we should first master ourselves by understanding our strengths and weaknesses. We should also learn to accept diversity and constructive criticism from our co-workers; this is the first step towards creating a close relationship with co-workers.

"In order to form a bond with anyone, you need to be empathetic and learn to listen to them carefully, because everyone desperately needs to be heard, without being judged. If you exercise this at work then you will definitely get an accountable partner,” he adds.

Diane Nishimwe, a private notary based in Kigali says that accountable co-mentorship is important as it brings out the best in you, motivates you to do more, and challenges yourself.

"If you have a partner at work that you feel free enough to share your ideas, plans, achievements, and failures you are creating a bond. Instead of internalising everything to yourself you can externalise them, have a person that helps you find solutions to your failures, a person that pushes you to do more where needed,” she says.

In addition, Muyisenge says that having a co-mentor motivates you to do better; there are days when you feel powerless and lazy to do any task until a partner comes and changes your attitude, either by helping you with the work or motivating you in other ways.

Mentorship is key to holding both leaders and employees accountable; Angela Usanase an accountant says that accountable co-partners are what drive success in a workplace.

"If an employee has goals and is accountable to them, it means that the company is in good hands and when the employee has someone else that motivates them and encourages them, and the employee offers the gesture in return, it means that not only the company is in good hands but that the employees want a future for it,” she says.

How are accountable partnerships created?

A few tips from Career Contessa’s page:

Choose someone with the characteristics of a good accountability partner

Your successful partnership is going to hinge on who you choose to partner with. As such, it’s important to find someone who will keep you on track someone who has strengths where you have weaknesses.

Profile your common excuses + personal weaknesses 

It’s time for some honesty. When starting an accountability partnership, it’s a great practice to take time to highlight elements that get in the way of achieving lofty goals like negative thoughts, excuses, bad habits, and other obligations.

Never cancel your scheduled meetings

This is great advice and it can be the toughest to follow. 

If you create a scheduled meeting or a specific accountability appointment, stick to it. If that means that you have to push other things aside, do it. If it means that you have to shorten the meeting to only five minutes, do it.

Create milestones of all sizes 

One of the most common pitfalls of failed goals is the size of the goal.  Break it down into pieces and celebrate each milestone.  When starting your co-mentorship, have your first goal in mind, but then break it down into manageable pieces or smaller SMART goals.