Published
Most organizations default to vertical accountability—managers set expectations and inspect the work. That’s necessary, but not sufficient. Teams sustain higher performance when they add horizontal accountability: clear peer agreements, real-time feedback, and rituals that keep commitments visible in the flow of work.
Why peers outperform policy
- Proximity: Peers see each other’s behavior where it actually happens.
- Speed: Issues surface in hours, not in the next managerial 1:1.
- Social norms: People conform more consistently to shared team standards than to distant rules.
The three building blocks
- Peer agreements: Two to five plain-language standards we’ll hold each other to (e.g., “Decide in the meeting,” “Flag unseen work early,” “Give feedback within 48 hours”).
- Rituals that surface commitments: A weekly stand-up or review where we state the one commitment we’ll deliver and report on last week’s.
- Fast, kind feedback: Short, specific, behavior-first messages delivered close to the moment.
How to install horizontal accountability in 30 days
- Name the gap: Identify one recurring miss that slows outcomes.
- Co-create 3 norms: Write them as observable behaviors; post in the team’s workspace.
- Add one cadence: A 15-minute weekly forum that reviews last week’s commitments and sets one next commitment per person.
- Make work visible: Use a simple board or doc with owners, deadlines, and “done/on track/at risk.”
- Rehearse feedback: Teach a 3-line script: “I noticed… The impact was… Next time, could we…?”
Pitfalls to avoid
- Vague standards: If it isn’t observable, it won’t be enforceable.
- Manager override: Leaders who rescue every tension erase peer authority.
- Shaming: Accountability is firm and respectful; humiliation kills learning and trust.
Quick start: This Friday, ask the team to define three behaviors that would make next week unmistakably better. Post them. Revisit them at the end of next week with one sentence per person: “What I did / What I need.”