Ideas for Discussing Accountability in Team Settings

I was recently finalizing a deck and caught a red flag sentence: "These issues were outside of our control." I knew what my team member meant when he wrote it, but I gave this feedback: When you're reporting on a problem, never say, "It wasn't my fault," or, "It was outside of my/our control." Those things may be true! But still, if you say them, you'll raise the suspicions of your boss/board/customer. Accountability is a super power and if it looks like your taking it, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and then, actually listen. If you aren't taking accountability, what I've seen happen is that your boss (broadly defined) will be concerned that you don't see the problem and aren't owning the solution. They won't be able to have a data-backed discussion until their emotional needs are met. They need to hear, "I am owning this problem." Example time 🧑🏫 Let's say you're in Customer Success and you're sharing why a customer didn't renew. Instead of saying, "Don't worry. There wasn't anything we could have done to keep the customer." 1) Take accountability. 🗣️ "I know it's important we retain our customers and I was the owner of this relationship." 2) Then, show what happened with data, not with editorializing 🗣️ "The customer reduced headcount to below 20 employees. While I was able to get them on a call, they are in cost-cutting mode and said that while they love our product, they don't have the budget." Now, what can happen is your boss will likely draw the conclusion that you are an owner and that in this particular situation, the churn likely wasn't really in your control. Don't fall on every sword, but leadership (even as an individual contributor) requires accountability. And very subtle communication choices influence whether your boss thinks you are taking accountability.

Lack of accountability is more common than we like to admit. You’ve likely worked with someone who avoids responsibility—or maybe you’ve had to work around them. In some team cultures, that becomes the norm: compensate for the gaps, rather than address the issue head-on. Most leaders can spot when accountability is lacking. But coaching someone toward accountability? That’s the hard part. And here’s the real challenge... We tend to treat “accountability issues” as one generic problem. It shows up in very different ways—each requiring its own approach. Sometimes, a teammate simply doesn’t know what your expectations are. That’s where leadership patience comes in: teaching, encouraging, and building clarity together. 🚩 8 Red Flags That Signal Accountability Gaps (Which ones are showing up on your team?) THE GHOST – “I wasn’t even involved in that.” → Clarify roles upfront. Accountability begins with defined responsibility. THE AVOIDER – Dodges feedback sessions. → Position feedback as a tool for growth, not criticism. THE DEFLECTOR – Changes the subject when challenged. → Stay direct and respectful to address the core issue. THE FINGER POINTER – “It wasn’t me—it was the team.” → Shift the focus from blame to solutions. THE PROCRASTINATOR – Delays action to avoid outcomes. → Break work into small, doable steps to build traction. THE VICTIM – “Everything always goes wrong for me.” → Help them identify what’s within their control. THE EXCUSE MAKER – “The deadline was impossible!” → Set realistic timelines with the team—not for them. THE MINIMIZER – “It’s not a big deal.” → Connect the dots between their actions and the bigger picture. Awareness is the first step toward accountability. Which of these behaviors do you see most often? And more importantly—how are you addressing them?

Your team isn't lazy. They're confused. You need a culture of accountability that's automatic: When accountability breaks down, it's not because people don't care. It's because your system is upside down. Most leaders think accountability means "holding people responsible." Wrong. Real accountability? Creating conditions where people hold themselves responsible. Here's your playbook: 📌 Build the Base Start with a formal meeting to identify the real issues. Don't sugarcoat. Document everything. Set a clear date when things will change. 📌 Connect to Their Pain Help your team understand the cost of weak accountability: • Stalled career growth • Broken trust between teammates • Mediocre results that hurt everyone 📌 Clarify the Mission Create a mission statement so clear that everyone can recite it. If your team can't connect their role to it in one sentence, They can't make good decisions. 📌 Set Clear Rules Establish 3-5 non-negotiable behaviors. Examples:  • We deliver what we commit to  • We surface problems early  • We help teammates succeed 📌 Point to Exits Give underperformers a no-fault, 2-week exit window. This isn't cruelty. It's clarity. 📌 Guard the Entrance Build ownership expectations into every job description. Hire people who already act like owners. 📌 Make Accountability Visible Create expectations contracts for each role. Define what excellence looks like. Get signed commitments. 📌 Make It Public Use weekly scorecards with clear metric ownership. When everyone can see who owns what. Accountability becomes peer-driven. 📌 Design Intervention Create escalation triggers: Level 1: Self-correction Level 2: Peer feedback Level 3: Manager coaching Level 4: Formal improvement plan 📌 Reward the Right Behaviors Reward people who identify problems early. (not those who create heroic rescues) 📌 Establish Rituals Conduct regular reviews, retrospectives, and quarterly deep dives. 📌 Live It Yourself Share your commitments publicly. Acknowledge your mistakes quickly. Your team watches what you do, not what you say. Remember: The goal isn't to catch people failing. It's to create conditions where:  • Failure becomes obvious  • And improvement becomes inevitable. New managers struggle most with accountability:  • Some hide and let performance drop  • Some overcompensate and micromanage We can help you build the playbook for your team. Join our last MGMT Fundamentals program for 2025 next week. Enroll today: https://lnkd.in/ewTRApB5 In an hour a day over two weeks, you'll get:  • Skills to beat the 60% failure rate  • Systems to make management sustainable  • Live coaching from leaders with 30+ years experience If this playbook was helpful... Please ♻️ repost and follow 🔔 Dave Kline for more.

Blame culture doesn’t just hurt morale... It paralyzes teams: Instead of fixing problems, people waste energy defending themselves. High-performing teams don’t trade blame. They trade accountability. Here are 9 steps to shift from blame to ownership: 1️⃣ Define Clear Roles + Responsibilities Ambiguity breeds blame. Clarity prevents it. 2️⃣ Focus on the Process, Not the Person Ask “What went wrong?” instead of “Who messed up?” 3️⃣ Normalize Mistakes as Learning Opportunities Create safety for people to admit errors without fear of punishment. 4️⃣ Model Accountability at the Top Leaders who own their mistakes set the standard for everyone else. 5️⃣ Address Issues Quickly and Directly Letting resentment simmer only fuels finger-pointing. 6️⃣ Celebrate Team Wins, Not Just Individual Wins Build a culture of shared success, not competition. 7️⃣ Encourage Solution-Oriented Conversations Every “problem” discussion should end with next steps, not blame. 8️⃣ Give Feedback Privately, Recognize Publicly Protect dignity, build trust. 9️⃣ Keep the Focus on Growth The ultimate question: “How do we prevent this next time?” Keep this in mind: Blame looks backward. Accountability moves forward. Which of these do you think teams struggle with? Let’s talk below ⬇ ♻ Share this for leaders working to build healthier teams ➡️Follow Kerim Kfuri for philosophy & leadership insights

At DISQO, to of core values are, “Be Relentlessly All In” and “Win as One Team.” Both sound simple on paper or on the wall, and they are the secret sauce in our recipe for success. In short, they mean nothing should get in the way of us helping DISQO and our customers win, even at the expense of personal preference or advantage. Because it means creating a future where we all win together, we need to keep a high bar for how we share feedback. That includes when we are getting it right and especially when we are getting it wrong. Sharing feedback protects our culture and our advantage only if we are willing to have the hard conversations. Avoiding hard conversations doesn’t protect your culture. It erodes it. When someone receives three straight performance reviews, clear expectations, and multiple chances to change and still refuses, it is no longer a performance problem. It is an accountability problem. Leaders do not get to look away. Standards do not uphold themselves. If you want a culture of ownership, you have to protect it in moments like these. So what does that look like? Here are 5 steps to lead through the hard conversation with clarity, not cruelty: 🔥 1. Anchor in evidence 📊 Start with the facts: "Here is what we have discussed. Here is what has not changed." You are not giving an opinion. You are reporting the pattern. 🔍 2. Say the thing 🎯 Do not water it down: "At this point, it is no longer just about performance. It is about your response to feedback." If it is hard to say, it probably needs to be said. 🔄 3. Shift the burden 🧭 Make the next move theirs: "It is your choice whether or not to take action. But we cannot continue as we are." Ownership is the signal. Enable it, do not carry it. 🎯 4. Set a specific next step 🗓️ Be clear: “By Friday, I expect a written plan with measurable steps and early action already in motion.” Accountability lives in clarity, not ambiguity. 🤝 5. Stay human, not soft 💬 You can be clear and respectful: “I want to see you succeed. But that will not happen unless something changes now.” Respect is not silence. It is truth with empathy. Creating the future means leading in the hardest times.. Where it is uncomfortable. Where most people hesitate. And where real culture is made or lost. Say what needs to be said. That is how you protect the work, the team, and the standard. #CreateTheFuture #LeadershipInAction #CultureMatters #RadicalCandor #LeadWithClarity #DISQO