Accountability Stand-Up Groups
If I pop into my husband’s office around 9 in the morning, I do so with as much stealth as I can, blending into the background as I grab my laptop or a book or more lined paper.
It’s stand up time, and there he is, standing, listening to his coworkers on video chat explain what they’ve done since yesterday’s stand up and what they will be working on next. It doesn’t take much time, but it keeps the team on the same page, it increases motivation to have something to report, and it provides accountability.
A stand up meeting, whether daily or weekly, is part of what is known as Agile project management in software development circles. It is supposed to promote independence of programmers within a framework of accountability, as well as flexibility of focus. Interval planning was born partially out of my reading up on the practices – in Agile terms, an interval is a sprint, a focused work period followed by a recovery and readjustment phase.
Such accountability works not only for business and project goals. Camaraderie-style accountability can help us spur one another on to any sort of good work: homemaking, homeschooling, holiness.
What is a stand up group?
A stand-up is a business term for a short meeting where you tell everyone else on your team how your last set of tasks went and what you’re going to work on next. In the StandUp-Novice group you’ll practice implementing a weekly review and selecting your top 3 tasks for the upcoming week.
By seeing other people’s top 3 tasks, hearing how they are iterating and figuring things out, and knowing that you’re not alone, you’ll be encouraged to keep working at it while also being accountable to people who get it. It’s a great place to give and get feedback on the basics.
But the stand up is not only for sharing your goals for the upcoming week. It’s easy to want to move on and forget about last week – let’s start fresh! But the learning happens in the reporting on last week rather than by sharing about future hopes.
In this way, not only do we stay aware of what the others are working on, but we gain a measure of accountability without losing independence and flexibility. Knowing I’ll have to come back and say whether or not I completed my weekly task helps me put down the phone, stop the distracting “productive procrastination” task, and just do what I should be doing.
At Simply Convivial, we have 3 levels of stand up groups inside our community:
Level 1, novice:
The novice groups are a place for you to practice, figure things out, and get the hang of the community, the accountability, the weekly reviews, and reporting. Once you’ve been consistent within the novice group for a month, you can request to advance into a small group for more personal, consistent, care-based accountability and camaraderie.
Requirements for moving up to a level 2 small group-
- Complete Homemaking 101.
- Complete at least 3 weekly reviews in the last 5 weeks.
- Check in on my novice stand up group at least 3 times in the last 30 days.
When these requirements are met, fill out the level-up assessment here. Every Monday, Mystie’s assistant, Leisa, reviews the assessments and moves people into the next level.
Level 2, small group:
???? -Members in midlevel “small group” accountability channels get a heart icon added to their username to recognize their advancement.
It’s much easier to have that friend-based accountability in a smaller group setting. These groups get to know one another
Requirements for moving up to level 3, mentor level –
- Be a member for a minimum of 18 consecutive months.
- Complete at least one round of Simplified Organization Community Coaching.
- Be a regular contributor to your small group stand up.
When these requirements are met, fill out the level-up assessment here. On the first week of each month, Mystie’s assistant, Leisa, reviews the assessments and moves people into the next level. Whenever possible, we move people from the same small group together; you may also request to be added to a mentor stand up group with a particular friend.
Level 3, mentor:
⭐️ – Members in the upper level accountability groups get a star icon added to their username in recognition of their experience.
Women in the mentor level have tight-knit accountability groups that offer support and prayer to one another as well as accountability.
Mentor-level members also have the option of attending one Zoom meet-up per quarter, aimed at goal-setting and honing our homemaking skills and attitudes more specifically. These meet-ups typically happen the first Monday of January, April, July, and October. Replays are only available to mentor-level members; join links and replay links are sent via text and in the stand-up channels.
