Inspiring Accountability
Cathie Leimbach • January 24, 2023
In your organization, how often are tasks not completed to your satisfaction and on time? For most of us this is a common reality. This article outlines important steps for helping your team members be accountable for regularly getting important work done well.
First, let’s look at a definition of accountability.
Accountability is where team members hold themselves and each other responsible for fulfilling their commitments in a positive and productive way.
Now, we’ll consider the steps a leader can follow to position their team and each team member for success.
- Clearly define the results you want achieved by when. Be very specific. For example, “Complete the first full draft of the annual report in Microsoft Word, including the layout, footers with page numbers, table of contents, and other introductory pages, and email the Word document to me by February 19, 2023, at 4:00 pm Central Time.”
- Ask your team member what training, resources, or help they may need to achieve this. Determine if you will provide this support or assign the work to someone else who is a better fit for it – and communicate your decision.
- Ask the person you are delegating this work to, “On a 1 to 10 scale with 10 being the highest, how committed are you to fulfilling this responsibility?” If they aren’t a 10, ask what they would need to be a 10. Work with them to fill the gaps, or if they really aren’t a right fit, assign the work to someone else.
- Collaborate with your team member to set up a monitoring timeline and method to check progress periodically along the way. This ensures there are opportunities for the team member to alert you to bottlenecks and seek help if necessary. Praise them for their progress, encourage them to try to solve problems along the way, and guide them in making effective decisions.
- Tell your team member to reach out to you for help if they can’t resolve challenges in a timely. Ask them to alert you whenever they discover something beyond their control that may delay the completion date or impact work quality.
- Celebrate their success when they achieve expectations! When people are acknowledged for doing the job well it builds their confidence and commitment, increasing their future success.
Yes, leaders have to be very intentional when delegating work and responsibilities. However, when we take the time to set the stage for accountability, more will get accomplished and everyone will experience stronger workplace morale.
Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t care. They struggle because engagement feels hard to influence. But when people are engaged, the impact is hard to ignore: 18% higher sales 23% higher profitability 70% higher wellbeing These differences come from comparing the 25% of organizations with the strongest employee engagement to those in the bottom 25% (Gallup). And the stakes are bigger than most realize— disengaged employees cost U.S. organizations nearly $2 trillion in lost productivity each year (Gallup). This isn’t about perks or programs. It’s about how people are led every day. Engaged teams are clearer on expectations. They feel supported. They know their work matters. And most importantly—those conditions don’t happen by accident. They’re created in conversations: Clarifying priorities Reinforcing what good looks like Checking for understanding Following through consistently Small leadership habits drive big business outcomes. A question to consider: Where could stronger day-to-day leadership conversations improve results in your team? 👉 Join our next 60-minute Leadership Conversation: Inspiring High Performance — Monday, April 13 th at 3:00 PM ET (this is not a webinar) It’s a small-group discussion with other leaders looking at a simple question: What’s actually driving engagement—and what’s quietly holding it back? If a shift in leadership could impact sales, profitability, and wellbeing… it’s worth exploring what that might look like in your world.
Most leaders don’t struggle because they lack knowledge. They struggle because leadership opportunities show up in daily conversations —and those moments are easy to miss. The difference between average and high-performing teams often comes down to four leadership behaviors: 1. Build Trust Through Everyday Conversations Trust is built in small moments. Listen to concerns Ask thoughtful questions Follow through Address issues quickly and respectfully 🤝 Trust grows through consistent, everyday conversations. 2. Reinforce What Good Looks Like People repeat what gets recognized. Be specific: “I appreciated how you handled that client issue quickly—that made a difference.” 🔒 Clarity + recognition = stronger performance. 3. Address Problems Early—Kindly and Clearly Avoiding issues creates bigger ones. Keep it simple: What was expected? What happened? What needs to change? 👥 Clear, timely conversations reduce drama and improve results. 4. Support People So They Can Succeed Your role is to help your team succeed. Clarify priorities Remove obstacles Provide resources Coach progress 🔍 When people have clarity and support, performance follows. The Real Lever: Conversations None of this requires new systems. It happens in everyday interactions— 1:1s, quick check-ins, and follow-ups. Better conversations → better results. Quick Reflection Which one would make the biggest difference for you right now? Build trust Reinforce performance Address problems early Support success 👉 Join our next 60-minute Leadership Conversation – Inspiring Employee Performance on Monday, April 6, at 3:00 pm ET. Not a webinar. A working session with other leaders looking at what’s actually happening on their teams—and how small shifts in daily conversations change performance fast. If you're curious what even a 10% shift in consistency could look like for your team… this is a good place to start.