Promoting Team Accountability During Change Projects

How many times have you walked out of a strategic planning retreat with glossy slide decks, beautiful diagrams, and a poster on the wall, only to find a year later that none of them changed how your company works? I have asked myself that question. The hard truth is that the gap is not in the vision or the strategy itself. The gap is in the daily behaviors that either pull strategy off the wall or let it gather dust. I have created my daily checklist to fill the behaviour gaps and keep myself and team accountable. 1/ Review Critical Objectives First → Skim the key KPIs or OKRs every morning. → Ask, “Are there any imminent red flags or at-risk objectives?” → Flag them for discussion but resist fixing them yourself. 2/ Avoid “Rescuing” Behavior → When someone asks you to solve a problem they own, respond, “What is your plan to address this?” → Offer guidance only if they are genuinely stuck. → Do not take over the task. 3/ Foster Transparency Early → Encourage team members to surface challenges in daily stand-ups or quick syncs. → Begin with, “What risks do we see today?” → Prevent hidden issues from escalating. 4/ Offer Support, Not Orders → In one-on-ones or micro-huddles ask, “What do you need from me or others?” → Provide resources or coaching as needed. → Maintain each person’s ownership of the outcome. 5/ Recognize Small Wins and Efforts → When you see progress or a creative solution, acknowledge it immediately. → Reinforce that accountability also means noting successes, not only misses. 6/ Appeal to Higher Motivations → Remind the team why their work matters. → “This project aligns with our goal to become the Y Combinator of Fintech.” → “You are building skills toward a leadership path.” 7/ Stay Consistent with Consequences → If commitments are missed, remain calm but firm. → “We agreed you would have a plan by today. Let us discuss where you are.” → Document repeated misses to ensure real accountability rather than threats. 8/ Communicate Accountability Publicly → In team chats or shared documents label tasks clearly with owners. → Encourage transparent status updates. → Reduce the need for the you to chase progress. 9/ Check Personal Actions Against the Strategy → At the end of each day ask, “Did I defer any tough decisions out of fear or comfort?” → “Have I stepped in and rescued someone who should own their own problem?” → Correct the course early if patterns recur. 10/ Create a Culture of Asking “Why?” → When tasks arise, examine how they tie back to strategic goals. → If alignment is unclear, pivot or say “no” to avoid scattered effort. I keep this list pinned near my table -- and the more times I follow it -- the more our strategy is actually alive. 💡 I am curious to hear how you keep strategy in motion? Share your daily ritual or best tip below. #accountability #leadership #strategy #execution

Late Friday afternoon (of course, before a long holiday weekend) my phone rang... no soft introductory text... no "hey there!" email asking to set up time on my calendar... straight to the ringtone I use for clients. “We rolled out the new strategy seven months ago… nothing has changed!” It’s a common frustration. The emails were beautifully crafted. The slides were inspiring. The town halls were well attended; even remote participants were on camera. And yet, four questions into our conversation it was clear to me that people had fallen back into working the same way they always had. Not long after, it was almost a whisper when he said, "Results can't change if ways of working don't change." Here’s why: You can’t talk your way into new results. You have to lead your way into them. 💎 Real change happens when leadership behavior enables and reinforces new team behaviors. We agreed that he would do a bit of internal review this week to see what he and his leadership team are actually doing to reinforce the changes, not just what they’re saying. Here are the four areas my questions touched on to help him leaders can enable and sustain changed behavior: 🔹 What are you modeling visibly? If you want collaboration, stop making decisions in silos. If you want accountability, start owning your own misses out loud. 💎 I reminded him that your team won’t go where you won’t lead. 🔹How had they maintained the system alignment we had set up? More specifically, were the year end incentives, review processes, and new year priorities set up to reinforce the behavior you want? 💎 Remembering his leadership team's M.O. I reminded him that if people are rewarded for speed, they won’t slow down for quality, no matter how many times you say, “quality matters.” 🔹 Does the team feel safe trying new things? Quick answer was "of course they do". I probed a bit and discovered that there had been a few early missteps that were not well received. 💎 Behavior change requires experimentation. If change feels risky, people will stick with the familiar. 🔹 How are the changes reinforce systematically? {silence, followed by a heavy sigh} He had fallen back on his normal one-and-done messaging. His team had eliminated the regular recognition, reflection, and reminders we had built into their calendars to create real "operating rhythm". 💎 He shared that expectations weren't being reinforced consistently... in meetings, in metrics, in moments of feedback... so how could they become culture? This is the hard part of transformation...the quiet, consistent work of shifting how we show up every day. But it’s also the most powerful. If you want changed outcomes, you need changed behaviors. And changed behaviors start at the top. As a leader, you are the culture. What you model, message, and make room for gets repeated. #TransformationTuesday #OrganizationalChange #CultureShift #TurningWhatIfIntoWayToGo

Building a culture of accountability isn’t just about setting rules — it's about creating an environment where everyone takes ownership. Here's how we do it at MAP... Having a culture of accountability is a game-changer for any business. It’s what takes a company from good to great. At MAP, we realized early on that accountability isn’t about micromanaging—it’s about empowering every team member to own their roles and deliver results. Here’s a three-step strategy we used to build and maintain a culture of accountability: 1. Set Clear Expectations: Every team member needs to know what is expected of them—not just in terms of tasks but also in terms of outcomes. At MAP, we start by defining clear, measurable goals for each role - Vital Factors. This involves collaborative goal-setting sessions where each employee understands how their work ties into the larger company Vital Factor goals. 2. Provide Regular Feedback: Accountability doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We have weekly check-ins and longer monthly team meetings (Vital Factor Team Meetings) where feedback is a two-way street. Team members are encouraged to speak up about their challenges, and managers provide constructive feedback to help them overcome obstacles. This keeps everyone aligned and on track. 3. Celebrate Wins and Learn from Losses: Recognition is a powerful motivator. We make it a point to celebrate both big and small wins. This reinforces positive behavior and encourages others to strive for excellence. But we also believe in learning from our mistakes. In every monthly Vital Factor Team Meeting we reflect on what didn’t go as planned and how we can improve. By following these steps, we’ve built a culture where accountability is the norm, not the exception. It’s a journey, not a destination, and it requires continuous effort and commitment from every team member. How have you built a culture of accountability in your organization? What strategies worked for you? #Accountability #Leadership #TeamCulture