Top-down enforcement creates compliance; peer agreements create commitment. Horizontal accountability means the team agrees on observable behaviors and checks them together. The leader’s job is to design the loop, not police it.
Try a weekly “peer norm review” where teammates share one example of the norm in action, one miss, and one nudge for the coming week. Keep it light, fast, and positive. Momentum follows.
Key takeaways
- Make the “why” explicit and keep it visible in rituals and dashboards.
- Use small, repeatable behaviors to create momentum before policy changes.
- Invite peers to hold peers accountable—leaders design the system, teams sustain it.