Building a Negotiation Team

Accountability Nearly every organization I work with at the moment is focused on some version of creating a "high-performance" culture. Alongside this goal is a push for greater speed of decision-making, efficiency, and accountability. However, a common mistake many organizations make is treating accountability as a binary attribute—individuals are either seen as accountable or not. In reality, accountability is more nuanced. Understanding accountability as a spectrum is critical for cultivating a high-performance culture. The Accountability Ladder illustrates this concept by mapping out various levels at which individuals engage with their responsibilities, ranging from unaware or indifferent to becoming proactive and inspiring others. Those familiar with the Leadership Circle Profile will note that accountability transforms as leaders pivot from an external to an internal locus of control. This move from a Reactive to Creative mindset is a critical prerequisite. Here is a summary of each step on the ladder: Unaware: At this level, individuals are not aware of the issues or their responsibilities. They lack the knowledge necessary to understand what needs to be done. Blaming Others: Individuals recognize the issue but choose to blame others rather than taking any responsibility. They see the problem as someone else's fault. Excuses: At this step, individuals acknowledge the problem but offer excuses for why they can't address or resolve it. They often cite external factors or limitations. Wait and Hope: Individuals here are aware of the problem and hope it gets resolved by itself or that someone else will take care of it. There is recognition but no action. Acknowledge Reality: This is a turning point on the ladder. Individuals acknowledge the reality of the situation and their role in it but have not yet begun to take corrective action. Own It: Individuals take ownership of the problem and accept their responsibility for dealing with it. They start to commit to resolving the issue. Find Solutions: At this step, individuals not only take ownership but also actively seek solutions. They explore various options to resolve the problem. Take Action: Individuals implement the solutions they have identified. They take concrete steps to resolve the issue. Make It Happen: Individuals not only take action but also follow through to ensure that the solutions are effective. They monitor progress and make adjustments as necessary. Inspire Others: Leaders inspire and encourage others to take accountability, creating a proactive problem-solving culture. As a team exercise, try writing the steps of the accountability ladder on a whiteboard and ask: What level of accountability do we see across the organization? What level do we exhibit as a team (to each other and our stakeholders)? And finally, where would I place myself?

The leader who says "we have high accountability" and the team that says "we're walking on eggshells" are often describing the same culture. I was reminded of this disconnects in a thought provoking session on innovative cultures last week led by Gary Pisano. I see the disconnect often in my advisory work. A senior leader tells me they believe they've built a culture of accountability. People deliver, standards are clear, and so are consequences. Then I talk to their team. And what I hear is quite different: people don't raise problems early because they're afraid of being blamed, they don't ask for help because it looks like weakness, they achieve their numbers but hide their mistakes. The leader sees accountability, but the team feels something close to... well, surveillance. Amy Edmondson's work on psychological safety tells us that accountability and psychological safety are independent dimensions. Many teams get the combination wrong. One of her frameworks maps four quadrants. The one I see often in my work is high accountability with low safety, what she calls the Anxiety Zone. Results happen, but they happen through pressure rather than genuine ownership. People deliver because they're afraid of what happens if they don't. Three questions can help a leader figure out which quadrant they're actually in: (1) When was the last time someone on your team told you about a mistake before you discovered it yourself? If you can't remember, you're probably in the anxiety zone. Mistakes are likely happening, but people have learned it's safer to hide them. (2) Do people on your team ask for help, or do they only report results? If your team only comes to you with finished work and polished updates, they are engaging in self-protection. (3) What happens to the person who misses a target but raised the risk early? If they're treated the same as the person who missed and said nothing, your culture is punishing candor and people have noticed. And as Gary noted in the session, "Candor is [possibly] the scarcest organizational resource." I get it: it is hard for a leader to hear is that the accountability they're proud of might be fear wearing a different name. But recognizing this might be the case is often a key first step in building a team culture where psychological safety, candor, and accountability are all present. #candor #innovation #accountability #safety

“If everyone owns it, no one does.” Everyone loves a good plan. Everyone wants alignment. Everyone values culture. But when things break, when results fall short, when pressure inevitably grows, the question is always the same: Who owns the outcome? (The answer can't be "everyone!") The future belongs to leaders and teams who step into that question with clarity and courage. Not with blame. Not with excuses. With ownership. Ownership is not about being perfect. It is about being responsible. For the result. For the learnings. For the improvements needed to get to the outcomes even after an initial failure. Too many companies prioritize collaboration, but without the parallel focus on accountability. We blur decision rights. We soften responsibility. We mistake involvement for ownership. But the future rewards those who own the result. Individually. Collectively. Consistently. Here are three ways to build a culture that owns outcomes: 🔹 Declare an owner. If everyone is responsible, no one is. Be explicit about who drives what outcomes from start to finish, and where dependencies (and required ownership) exist to make those outcomes achievable. 🔹 Make success visible. Highlight the people who take responsibility and drive results, even when it is complicated, imperfect, or messy. 🔹 Normalize the mess and the miss. Accountability is not about punishment. It's about learning quickly, adjusting as needed, and continuing to move forward. Own the outcome, even when it falls short. The future will belong to those who not only move fast and think big, but also those who take ownership at every step. Belief. Alignment. Speed. Accountability. That is how we create the future.

We hit $82 million in revenue by year 3. My team was stabbing each other in the back daily. On the outside, Quest looked like a success story. 57,000% growth in 3 years. Inside it was chaos. The problem? We had no culture system. Just hope that good people would act good. (Spoiler: that didn’t really work.) People stabbing each other in the back daily. Employees blaming everyone except themselves. Meetings that solved nothing because no one would tell the truth. I was putting out fires instead of building a company. Every day felt like damage control. When I started Impact Theory, I was determined to do things differently. Culture fit became non-negotiable. Today, I won’t even meet with a candidate who hasn’t read and agreed to our culture document. Our culture doc filters out the emotionally weak before they can create chaos in the organization. Here are 7 steps to create your culture doc: 1. Define Your Non-Negotiables Our example: "Gossip, politics, and backchannel bitching will not be tolerated." Your version: Write down the 3 behaviors that will destroy your team if left unchecked. 2. Set Clear Expectations Our example: "We expect radical candor. Your ideas will be challenged. You will challenge others. No one is above criticism." Your version: Tell them exactly how communication works at your company. 3. Include the Hard Truths Our example: "We are not promising a safe space, free of challenges. We are promising exactly the opposite." Your version: Scare away people who want easy. Attract people who want growth. 4. The Self-Starter Requirement Our example: "Once you know the company goals, don't wait for direction. Identify problems and solve them. Standing still is a cardinal sin." Your version: Define what initiative looks like at your company. 5. The Accountability Standard Our example: "We believe your life is an exact reflection of your choices. No excuses. No blame. Point all ten fingers back at yourself." Your version: Make it clear that ownership is non-negotiable. 6. The Results Focus Our example: "We hold everyone accountable for results. Your title offers no protection. You'll be expected to make progress with or without managerial feedback." Your version: Set the standard that results matter more than effort. 7. The Growth Mindset Our example: "We expect you to develop your skills daily. Success is rented, not owned. Rent is due every day." Your version: Establish continuous improvement as the baseline. Every hire either makes your culture stronger or weaker. There's no neutral. Want the exact framework I use to build teams that scale without the chaos? I'm breaking it down in our next leadership workshop for entrepreneurs doing $1M - $10M who are tired of running a company that feels like a house of cards. Join us here: https://buff.ly/2Sr8tPr

When accountability becomes a blame game You get fear instead of ownership Most teams say they want accountability But what they create Is a culture of punishment Where nobody feels safe enough to try something new Where mistakes are met with silence Where initiative dries up This is avoidance Accountability only works In a culture of psychological safety ⇢Where feedback isn’t a threat ⇢Where people can speak the truth ⇢Where mistakes are part of the process Without that foundation Accountability becomes Deflection Defensiveness Damage control As an individual ⇢Model ownership without blame ⇢Be the first to say, “Here’s what I learned” As a leader ⇢Separate mistakes from identity ⇢Create safety before you expect accountability As a company ⇢Build systems that reward learning ⇢Normalize feedback as a tool for growth Accountability isn’t calling people out It’s calling people in To own their wins And their mistakes To speak the truth To learn and grow That’s how you build teams that own their work ❓What signal do you send when people make a mistake? - ♻️ Repost if this sparked something DM Michael Franco for People & Culture strategy #PsychologicalSafety

Most leaders think they're running an accountable culture. Their team knows the difference. Two cultures. Same hallway. Same people. Same pressure. One side: problems stay hidden until they're unavoidable. Blame moves faster than fixes. People protect themselves. The other: problems surface early. Ownership stays. People protect the work. What separates them is not policy. It is what happens the first time someone brings bad news. If the leader reacts to the messenger - even once - the team calculates. Soften it. Wait until you have a solution. Only surface what you can defend. That's how the consequence culture gets built. Not intentionally. One reaction at a time. The accountable culture runs the same way in reverse. Thank the person who named it early. Fix before pointing. Ask what's needed, not who is responsible. One signal. Repeated. The whole culture shifts. What your team lives in comes from what you did the last time something broke. This is what the Table is. The standard people feel before they see anything on paper. Try this this week: ↳ After the next miss, notice who speaks first and what they say ↳ Ask "what did we see and when?" before "who is responsible?" ↳ Find one problem that surfaced late this quarter - trace it back to where it stopped moving ↳ The next time someone surfaces a problem early, say it out loud: "Good. That's exactly what I need." ↳ Track how long your current issues sat before they reached you Accountability isn't what happens after someone fails. It's the standard you set before they do. What did your first reaction teach your team the last time something broke? 💬 Which side of that hallway does your team live in right now? 🔁 Repost if this is worth one leader's time. 👇 Follow for weekly content from The Leadership Table.

Leadership is not measured by how a team performs when everything is going well. It is measured by how a team responds when challenges arise, mistakes are made, and difficult conversations need to happen. One of the greatest responsibilities of a leader is creating an environment where people feel safe enough to speak up, ask questions, admit mistakes, and share new ideas without fear of blame or embarrassment. That doesn’t mean lowering expectations or accepting poor performance. It means fostering a culture where accountability is paired with trust, respect, and a commitment to continuous improvement. The highest-performing organizations understand that mistakes are inevitable. They recognize that every setback presents an opportunity to learn, refine processes, strengthen communication, and become better than they were before. Teams that spend their energy assigning blame rarely move forward. Teams that focus on finding solutions, supporting one another, and learning together continue to grow stronger. A true leader doesn’t immediately ask, “Who made the mistake?” Instead, they ask: ✔️How can I help? ✔️What can we learn from this? ✔️How do we prevent it from happening again? ✔️What resources or support does the team need to succeed? Those questions shift the conversation from criticism to collaboration. They build confidence instead of fear. They create trust instead of hesitation. When employees know their leaders value honesty over perfection, they become more engaged. They communicate problems sooner, contribute innovative ideas more freely, and take ownership of their work because they know they are supported—not judged. A zero-blame culture is not about avoiding accountability. In fact, accountability becomes even stronger because it focuses on learning, responsibility, and improvement rather than punishment. Great leaders coach instead of criticize. They develop people instead of discouraging them. They build confidence while maintaining high standards. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that the strongest teams are built on trust, open communication, and mutual respect. Success doesn’t come from having people who never make mistakes—it comes from having people who are willing to learn from them, support one another, and keep moving forward together. As leaders, we set the tone. Our words, our actions, and our response to adversity shape the culture of our organizations every single day. Let’s build workplaces where people feel empowered to contribute, encouraged to grow, and inspired to give their very best—not because they fear failure, but because they know they’re part of a team that believes in them. Because when trust replaces blame, collaboration replaces fear, and growth becomes the standard, extraordinary things happen. #Leadership #ServantLeadership #CompanyCulture #Teamwork #Trust #PeopleFirst #GrowthMindset #ContinuousImprovement #BusinessLeadership #EmployeeEngagement #Success #Management #CultureMatters #KMC

Teams don’t fall apart because people mess up. They fall apart because no one talks about it when they do. And when things go right we often skip the conversation entirely. The thing is, accountability isn’t code for punishment, it’s one of the most powerful tools a leader has - when it’s used right. And I get why accountability falls short: it’s uncomfortable, it feels personal, and most of us were never taught how to do it well, only how to react when things go off the rails. And yet, in fast-moving, high-pressure organizations, the way you handle accountability sets the tone for just about everything else: Performance. Trust. Culture. All of it. Here’s how I break down accountability with the executives I coach because sustainable success depends on both: How to Hold Yourself Accountable: • Own your outcomes (that means the wins and the misses) • Reflect before reacting • Share what you’ve learned (out loud, not just in your head) • Follow through, every time • Say “I got it wrong” when you did How to Hold Others Accountable: • Set expectations that are clear, not assumed • Make progress visible, don’t wait for the postmortem • Say it soon, while it’s still fresh and useful. Feedback delayed is feedback denied. • Ask: “What’s getting in your way, and how can I help?” • Catch what’s working, not just what’s broken One form of accountability builds credibility and the he other builds culture. You need both. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Hold one person accountable for something that went well. See what happens and then tell me about it! What's your best advice for building an accountability muscle or culture? #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #Accountability #OrganizationalEffectiveness #PsychologicalSafety #TrustAndPerformance

200+ leaders. 1 recurring pattern. Accountability breaks down when it’s owned by one person instead of shared by the team. Recently, I led a workshop with over 200 leaders on strengthening team accountability. The most common question I heard was, “How do I hold them accountable?” It’s the wrong question. The better question is, “How do I build accountability into our systems, so it becomes part of our culture and ways of working?” In my work, I see that most leaders don’t struggle with commitment. They struggle with consistency. They want accountability without micromanagement, but they’re missing the structures that make it sustainable. If you want accountability to stick, build it into your team’s systems. Here’s a few places to start:  ✔️ Embed it into rituals. Add accountability moments to team meetings, project kickoffs, and retrospectives. When it’s built into the rhythm, it’s cultural, and not personal when you have to address gaps.  ✔️Rotate ownership. Let team members lead accountability check-ins. When peers ask “Where are we on this?”, follow-through rises because accountability becomes mutual, and not just a managerial task.  ✔️Make it meaningful. Connect each deliverable to the team’s bigger goal. When people see why their work matters, consistency becomes intrinsic.  ✔️Clarify what “great” looks like. Accountability thrives on clarity. Define standards, expectations, and what “done well” means, and do it in collaborative discussions so there’s feedback and buy-in.  ✔️Close the loop. Celebrate completions. Reflect on misses. Make learning part of the rhythm, so call outs become how the system is tweaked and not a personal attack. When accountability becomes a team practice, leaders stop chasing (and feeling burdened by the follow up), and everyone starts owning. What’s working well in how your team shares accountability right now?

Holding someone accountable is like eating their lunch for them… because it robs them of the opportunity to take ownership and grow. Instead of doing it for them, the goal should be to create an environment where accountability is built into the culture. Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Set Clear Expectations Upfront - Ambiguity kills accountability. Make sure roles, responsibilities, and expectations are explicitly stated. - Use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) so there’s no wiggle room for misinterpretation. 2. Encourage Ownership, Not Micromanagement - Instead of checking in constantly, ask, “What’s your plan to make sure this gets done?” - Shift the conversation from “Did you do this?” to “What’s your next step?” 3. Model Accountability from the Top Down - If leaders dodge responsibility, why would anyone else take it seriously? - Own your mistakes publicly and show what taking responsibility looks like. 4. Make Progress Visible - Use dashboards, scorecards, or shared tracking tools where everyone can see progress (or lack thereof). - Publicly celebrating wins reinforces accountability without shaming failure. 5. Normalize Constructive Consequences - If there are no consequences for failing to follow through, accountability doesn’t exist—it’s just a suggestion. - Tie accountability to outcomes: if someone drops the ball, they should be part of the solution, not just excused. 6. Ask, Don’t Tell - Instead of saying “You didn’t get this done,” ask “What got in the way?” - This keeps the focus on problem-solving rather than finger-pointing. 7. Foster Peer Accountability - When teams hold each other accountable (instead of relying on a boss to do it), things get done faster and more effectively. - Regular check-ins where team members update each other on progress create natural accountability loops. 8. Reinforce Through Recognition, Not Just Criticism - Too often, accountability is only discussed when something goes wrong. - Recognizing and rewarding people who consistently own their work reinforces the right behaviors. The key is to shift accountability from being something done to people to something they take ownership of themselves. What’s been your biggest challenge in building accountability?