Companies use the word “accountability” but it is hard to know how to put that in place in the fast moving environment of an entrepreneurial venture. In many cases, the leader or founder of the company tries to drive accountability by talking directly to someone about a goal, activity or deliverable. And while that should work in many cases, often times in a one on one an individual may not respond. So what can you do?

People tend to perform better when they are asked to be accountable in front of a group.

Try holding someone accountable in the context of a group. Let’s say you have someone raising money for you. Or a vendor doing a project. Or an employee driving an initiative. Instead of having them check in on progress with you one on one, have them do so in front of a group. It could be your management team (if you have one). It could be a few advisors.  People tend to perform better when they are asked to be accountable in front of a group. They also are less likely to use the excuses they might use with you.  No need to be confrontational. Just let them know that the project they are working on will be presented to the group as part of regular meetings or a meeting set up just for this purpose. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.