Open your notes app and type in “To Do List.” How many pop up? How many have you completed? How many lists did you forget to make in the first place? Cluttering your notes app doesn’t unclutter your mind if results are never accomplished.
“When people would self-reflect, track their goals on a daily basis and engage with somebody, not an app a person, they were really achieving their goals,” said David Sussman, business owner of Family Security Plan, a company that provides security products to credit union members and their families, and founder of the Uccountability program.
As a mentor and coach, Sussman discovered a pattern when working with individuals in that community and holding each other accountable increased desired results. Sussman explained that nothing is possible without self-reflection, and that is how he discovered that doing it alone has always led him to come up short.
“It didn’t matter what those goals were; if you can track them and stay accountable to somebody, you have a better shot of doing it,” said Sussman.
Sussman is a second-generation business owner of the Family Security Plan, acting as the CEO for 10 years. Now, Sussman works as the Chief Innovation Officer for the company, while being run by professional management.
“As a result of that I’ve had a chance to pursuit some parts of my life that I’m very interested in but didn’t have time to do, helping people, coaching people has always been a passion of mine whether it’s business or personal, regardless of age or stage or anything,” said Sussman.
Being a leader who prioritized innovation, change and growth, he wanted to expand his coaching and created the Uccountability program.
“What’s really special is my relationship with UNH and their relationship with me. From Jens to the top administrators here, they see the potential.”
The university provides a space where innovative thinkers have a chance to bring ideas to life. After hearing about this program, graduate student with an MBA and concentration in strategic leadership, Katelyn Beach, did not hesitate to jump right in.
“When I heard the vision of it, the daily connection, the reflection, and the accountability, and really the way this program builds a community, it aligned with everything I believe students actually need but often don’t get,” said Beach.
The desired results don’t happen right away, it needs to become routine. Sussman said how, “It is not about perfection, it’s about progress.”
Sussman and Beach said being able to identify, record, and share with others your goals is not an innate process.
“Being able to clearly envision and execute on my goals both personally and professionally has been invaluable. Learning how to do that and learning how to go after what I want in an attainable way with a supportive community around me is, I would say, one of the biggest things that came from this program,” said Beach.
Beach was offered an internship position with Sussman, who allowed her to become a big part of this program. Together, they have collaborated in efforts to break all kinds of barriers as they continue the program in UNH, possibly having it become a course and an app. With an app, barriers of age, beliefs and even geographical ones can be broken.
Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the younger generation has become accustomed to social media being their main source of connection and not in-person interaction.
“If we fill ourselves with these social media connections and we rely on those to give us that fuel, that inner sense of belonging, community and being seen and heard, we come up short,” said Sussman.
Their goal with the app is to facilitate accessibility for students, faculty and reach off-campus. Even if one doesn’t continue the program, the structure created by Sussman allows people to lean back on it in hard times. It’ll help make it easier to get back on top of things rather than starting from scratch all alone.
“The program has given me structure and community that I know for certain I wouldn’t have had without this program,” said Beach.
