When we are in the middle of a ninety-day sprint, our leadership team tends to fall back into lazy language that breeds excuses for missed targets. How do we use specific linguistic shifts during our weekly meetings to enforce radical accountability?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To change behavior, you must first change your language. In his research on persuasion, Jonah Berger explains that subtle shifts in wording can dramatically alter accountability and identity. When your team is in the middle of a ninety-day sprint, they often use passive verbs to describe their progress, saying things like, I am trying to finish my Rock, or, I cannot get this done. To enforce radical accountability, we must turn actions into identities and shift from limits to choices. During your Level 10 Meeting™ sessions, I coach your team to replace can't with don't. For example, instead of saying, I can't meet my scorecard metric this week, an executive should say, I don't miss my weekly targets. This simple shift increases feelings of personal empowerment and control. Furthermore, we describe roles on the Accountability Chart™ using stable nouns rather than temporary verbs. Instead of describing someone as hard-working, we frame their seat as being a leader or being an owner of that function. When someone owns their seat as a core identity, they are far less likely to tolerate mediocrity or make excuses. By policing your language in your weekly meetings, you stop treating accountability as a chore and start treating it as a defining characteristic of who you are as a professional.