Accountability Starts with Clarity

When teams struggle with accountability, the root cause often isn’t the people—it’s the leadership. Too often, leaders fail to set clear accountabilities or expectations.

·        They’re not clear in their messaging.

·        They overlook the other priorities their direct reports are already managing.

·        They don’t consider the skill level of the individual, or the authority that person truly has in the organization.

That’s where the concept of “Understanding Your Sandbox” comes in.

For example, imagine you assign a direct report to manage a client project. Do they have the authority to make budget decisions? Can they approve timelines with the client, or do those need to come back to you? If you don’t define the sandbox, they’ll either hesitate and stall—or make decisions you didn’t intend for them to make.

When leaders clearly set expectations—what decisions can be made, what needs escalation, and how follow-up will happen—accountability becomes a shared responsibility. Direct reports feel empowered to act within their authority, and leaders can trust progress is moving forward.

Have you had to adjust your approach when working with team members of different skill levels or levels of authority? I’d love to hear how you’ve handled it.

Want to strengthen accountability on your team? Explore our Essentials Program: https://www.nexuscoaches.com/the-essentials-program