The 5 Levels Of Accountability

Accountability without consequences is just a suggestion.

Accountability doesn’t work without consequences. Think about it, especially if you have kids, nothing usually gets done without a consequence. Saying, “clean your room” doesn’t motivate as much as “clean your room or…” People are motivated not by commands, but by what surrounds the commands. Too many times we try to hold our people accountable, but there is no power behind the accountability. If one knows that nothing will happen if they don’t get something done, then what is really on the line? In fact, the less you hold people accountable for what they’ve done, the less they’ll try to do. It’s not that people are lazy or don’t want to work hard to get things done, it’s just that they don’t think it’s very important.

When you don’t hold people accountable with consequences, you are sending the message that it’s not a big deal. It just becomes a suggestion to them. So if you want to be more effective with accountability make sure there is a level of consequence attached to it. And make sure you clearly lay out what’s at stake before you assign a task, project, or responsibility. You can’t hold people accountable for what you’ve never communicated to them.

Here are the 5 levels of accountability consequences that need to be followed sequentially:

Level 1

Private Consequence

Depending on people’s personality sometimes all it takes to bring change is to let them know your disappointment in their performance. It sounds simple, but never underestimate the power of having an open and vulnerable face to face with the person that didn’t follow through correctly. No one wants to let someone down, so use this powerful motivator by being honest if a team member has done something that did not align with their assigned expectation or potential. In fact, the more respect and honor you have with your team, the more powerful this level 1 consequence operates. Don’t avoid these vital conversations. Lead with speed and don’t let behavior go unchecked and unaddressed. Set the bar high and do everything in your power to keep it there, becaue it will try to get lower over time.

Side Note: Make sure you correct the behavior, not the person. Don’t make it about who they are, but rather about what they’ve done. For example…if someone was disorganized and dropped the ball on a project, don’t say things like, “You’re too disorganized.” Or “You have to pull it together more!” Notice you are starting everything with YOU. You’re basically labeling them as a person and guess what…they’ll live up to their label over time. Also, you are giving them a closed command rather than opening up a dialogue to help them know how to fix their behavior. You must lead with questions.

Here is a better way. Say things like, “You are an extremely hard worker, what is it that knocked you off course with your organization?” Or “You always work to do a great job when organizing a project, talked to me about what happened with this project?” Notice, you are not labeling them as a person, you are focusing on their behavior. You are still keeping them in an open state of dialogue without making them defensive. And you are leading with open-ended questions that invite conversation.

Level 2

Public Consequence

This level is about them having to give a public account as to why their performance didn’t measure up. This can come in the form of an apology to the rest of the team, a verbal mending to anyone negatively affected by their behavior, or giving an account of their performance to their superiors. This is a tricky level 2, as you don’t want to tarnish anyone’s reputation or make someone extremely uncomfortable. But at the same time, accountability means you give an account. And if their behavior caused the rest of the team, department, and or company to miss an opportunity they have to answer for that. As leaders, we have to walk the fine line of care and candor. Holding your team accountable is not about being overly bearing, it’s about leading them to greatness. I have heard it said that a good leader is one who can step on your toes without messing up your shine. The better you deal with conflict the less room it has to grow out of control. The heart of being candid is not about whipping your team; it is about equipping your team. Build a culture of team members taking ownership of their behavior and performance. Don’t hide and cover everyone’s mistakes as their leader.

Level 3

Paper Consequence

If people are not responding to private and public accountability you need to start documenting their behavior. This is where the more formal process of warnings and strikes start counting. At this level, you need to start documenting specific situations if you haven’t started yet. There is a likely chance you may need some proof and formal records of the issues you are having with this person, especially if it escalates to higher levels. Let the person know that you are having to move to a more formal process of accountability with their behavior and don’t be apologetic about it. The ball is in their court if you have privately and publically held them accountable. The stakes are much higher here. They cannot repeat the behavior again and again. If things have gotten to this level, they need to know the future is in their hands. Make sure the expectations are extremely clear on what they need to do to shape up. Let them see and know what those documented consequences are so they can be specifically aware of them.

Level 4

Probation Consequence

If they still have not responded yet, it’s now time to give them a probation deadline. This is the last chance to change their behavior around and prove they want to stay with the company. It is important to be in close communication at this point. There needs to be specific targets for them to shoot for to gain reliability back. There needs to be clear metrics that must be hit in order to prove they can stay. You can’t just tell them to shape up at this point, there must be defined checkpoints they can measure their performance against. They need a chance to come back, and without clear guidelines as to what that is, the process can be disastrous for you and for them. A probation consequence needs to determine if this person can navigate the changes that need to be met. Don’t let up at this point, it’s better to push hard to see what they are capable of. Deal with behaviors quickly and lead with speed during this crucial time.

Level 5

Parting Consequence

This is the ultimate consequence. They are finished, but you aren’t firing them, they have fired themselves at this point. If expectations were clear and they didn’t live up to them, that is not on you, it’s on them. It’s time to part ways, they made their decision based on their behavior. Better to let this person move on that to trying to hang on too long. If they didn’t respond to the progression of accountability levels, they weren’t the right fit for your team. Do them a favor and yourself a favor and let them go gracefully. It should be no surprise at this point that it’s time to go. The consequences were clear and there was still no change in behavior…that settles it. Don’t prolong this last level, the longer it lingers the harder it is for everyone. And make sure you treat the person with respect and honor…even if they don’t return the favor. Better to always walk with integrity than to get caught up in unnecessary drama. 

Remember: accountablity without consequences is just a suggestion.