How Accountability Works

Accountability is often misunderstood as confrontation. In practice, it’s a respectful dialogue that keeps commitments visible, supports growth, and uncovers the help people need to succeed. When managers embrace accountability with empathy, teams become more reliable and individuals feel trusted to own their work.

I use a simple two-step approach:

Gain a free commitment. Agree on what will be delivered and when.
Follow up with curiosity. If the commitment slips, ask what got in the way and how you can help.

Let’s break down each step in detail.

Step 1: Gain a free commitment

High-performing teams thrive when people choose their commitments rather than having tasks pushed onto them. Even when we assign work, we can invite agency:

“Alex, we need this change shipped by 5 p.m. today. Can you take it?”

This leaves space for Alex to say yes, ask for support, or suggest an alternative. If someone consistently hangs back, that’s a coaching moment: “I’d love to see you take the lead more often. What would make that easier?”

Free commitment doesn’t mean avoiding urgent requests. It means building relationships - what I call “boss capital” - so that when urgent situations arise you can move quickly, because people trust your judgement and know you respect their workload. Invest in that trust by being clear about priorities, celebrating great work, and making sure credit is shared.

Once you have a commitment, write it down. Shared notes, project tools, or even a quick recap message reinforce the agreement and help everyone stay aligned.

Step 2: Follow up with curiosity

If the deadline arrives and the work isn’t complete, start with a question:

“Alex, I noticed the change isn’t live yet. What happened?”

Because Alex volunteered, the conversation focuses on their own commitment rather than an order you imposed. This keeps the tone collaborative. You’re not demanding obedience - you’re helping them honour their word.

From here, the conversation can go in many directions:

Life happens. Personal emergencies, illness, or unexpected stressors surface more often than we think. Offer support, redistribute work, and set the expectation that they ask for help early.
Best intentions, not enough time. Maybe Alex underestimated the effort or got pulled into other tasks. Discuss what blocked progress, share the impact of the delay, and agree on how to communicate sooner next time.
Skill or resource gaps. Sometimes the commitment was genuine but the path wasn’t clear. Explore whether mentorship, pairing, or additional training would make future commitments more realistic.

Throughout the conversation, give specific feedback: describe the missed commitment, explain how it affected the team or customers, and express your confidence that you can solve it together. Then set a clear expectation for how to handle similar situations should they arise.

Document the outcome - especially the plan for moving forward. Written notes protect both parties from misunderstandings and make it easier to spot patterns that need additional support.

Navigating resistance

Occasionally someone responds defensively (“You didn’t give me enough time”). Before reacting, check your own role: Did you set a clear expectation? Did you confirm availability? If not, take responsibility and reset the commitment together.

If expectations were clear and the resistance continues, stay calm. Reiterate the original agreement, restate the impact, and ask what they need to succeed. Persistent gaps may lead to formal performance conversations, ideally in partnership with HR. Accountability doesn’t mean escalating at the first sign of trouble - it means addressing issues directly and fairly.

Making accountability part of your culture

Model it. Share your own commitments and invite your team to hold you accountable.
Celebrate follow-through. Recognise people who deliver reliably and those who raise risks early.
Create psychological safety. Make it clear that asking for help is encouraged. Accountability is about learning, not blame.
Keep expectations visible. Document decisions, timelines, and owners so that nobody has to guess what success looks like.

When accountability is woven into everyday conversations, teams become more resilient. People know what’s expected, feel supported when challenges arise, and grow faster because feedback is timely and specific. That’s the kind of environment where high performers thrive and developing team members get the coaching they need.

In this team people see deadlines and commitments for what they are - as tools of communication and collaboration - rather than a threat of consequence. If you are able to create and maintain this environment, even your most junior staff may surprise you by setting their own deadlines, upping their commitments, multiplying both the team’s growth and their own.