Holding employees accountable is a crucial aspect of leadership that ensures work is done efficiently and effectively. However, many leaders find it difficult to hold employees accountable for fear of damaging their working relationship or morale. This challenge becomes more pronounced when employees fail to deliver on agreed-upon expectations and responsibilities.

Below, 16 Forbes Coaches Council members share ways for leaders to ensure employees are held accountable for doing their work. Read on to learn how to set clear expectations and ensure better performance going forward while still maintaining a positive work environment.

1. Understand The Context

Always remember that context is key. Begin by finding out why something didn’t happen. Was it outside of their control? Did they not understand it fully? Get down to the root cause to prevent future incidents. Then address accountability. Have them create incremental goals to get the work back on track. Set up check-ins and give instructions on how to prevent another missed deadline. – Adam Cubbage, Center Point Leadership Development

2. Create Shorter Feedback Loops

I would recommend shorter feedback loops. Guide a retrospective to encourage learning and let the person know that it is okay to learn fast to get better sooner. The questions to ask during the retrospective are: What worked? What didn’t work? What should be done differently next time? This allows the person to take ownership of their learning. – Dave Cornelius, KNOLSHARE

3. Help Employees Own The Circumstance And The Solution

A leader can create accountability by asking the employee what got in the way of accomplishing the agreed-upon task in a nonjudgmental fashion. Most people want to do a great job. Capitalize on this by asking the employee what they learned and how they will overcome any roadblocks in the future. This facilitates ownership of the circumstance and personal involvement in a solution. – Erin Urban, UPPSolutions, LLC

4. Get Curious About Why They Didn’t Do It

Get curious as to why they didn’t do it, then show trust and empathy in support of them moving forward. Your role is to ensure the work gets done; understanding why it wasn’t done is the only way to address the root cause. Empathy and listening will help you create trust and accountability measures to move forward. Don’t forget to ask the employee to repeat back to you what you agreed to. – Joshua Miller, Joshua Miller Executive Coaching

5. Review The Original Expectations

It’s crucial to review the original expectations and ensure that they were clearly communicated. If there was any ambiguity in the expectations that were shared, it’s essential to clarify them with the employee to prevent miscommunication in the future. By approaching the situation with empathy and a collaborative spirit, leaders can help their teams learn from setbacks and move forward confidently. – Lara Augusta, Embracing Potentiality

6. Have Them Create Their Own Accountability Plan

Lack of follow-through is a trust-killer, and it can happen to even the most committed team members. Get clear on the root cause of the missed deadline and consider what support or resources might help. If it’s an ongoing concern in spite of clearly communicated expectations, ask the employee to create their own accountability plan, including at what point they will ask for help if needed. – Asia Bribiesca-Hedin, Bridgewell LLC Professional Services

7. Clarify Expectations And How To Meet Them

Success in the workplace relies strongly on each individual’s best performance. Aligning expectations can help in holding employees accountable. Ensure everyone within the company understands what is expected of them and how to achieve their goals at every stage. The introduction of incentives, monetary or non-monetary, can help ensure positive momentum going forward. – Adaora Ayoade, EZ37 Solutions

8. Adopt A Problem-Solving Mindset

It’s important for the leader to approach the situation with a mindset of problem-solving rather than blame. Clarify the situation and listen before jumping to conclusions; this will help you understand the reasons behind the behavior, exposing the root cause. Discuss the consequences and how it impacts the organization, including teamwork. Finally, explain the road to recovery, follow up and provide feedback. – Stuart Andrews, SMA Consulting

9. Have A Caring And Respectful Conversation

The leader should have a conversation with the employee to understand the underlying cause. This conversation should be approached with an attitude of care, respect and understanding. It is also important to verify that a mutual agreement was created in the first place. Having a mutual agreement that respects everyone’s needs and is based on observable, measurable behavior is key to accountability. – Anna Barnhill, Barnhill Group Consulting, Inc

10. Build A Pillar Of Trust And A Sense Of Security

The most important part of addressing this issue is building a pillar of trust and a sense of security between employer and employee. Avoid micromanaging. Trust employees. Make them feel that they are trustworthy. Empower them without questioning them. This creates positive momentum. Assure them that mistakes are part of learning. This contributes to a win-win situation, positive outcomes and greater productivity. – Alex Jones, National Leadership Association

11. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Leaders who are curious are often able to get to the heart of this issue. Asking open-ended questions as to why a task was not completed creates a safe space for non-shaming dialogue. Too often, a leader expresses their disapproval. Were the goals not defined? Perhaps there was a communication breakdown. Asking collaborative questions, such as, “How can we avoid this happening again?” will create buy-in. – Gavin Sharpe, Gavin Sharpe

12. Avoid Micromanaging

The biggest thing for leaders to watch out for is to make sure they are not micromanaging, so it’s important to assess overall priorities and how much of an impact the incomplete work actually had on overall performance. If it had minimal impact, then it may be easier to leave it, as holding them to account may, in fact, be a disruptor and an obstacle to building positive momentum. – Ana Reed, Newmanity

13. Consider Your Own Actions First

As a manager, check in with your own actions first before entering into a conversation with the employee about project outcomes. Were expectations clear and concise? Was support given when asked for? Did proper monitoring and check-ins take place? If you enter into the conversation taking a holistic, team-centered approach, you’ll create positive forward momentum. – Michelle Rockwood, Unscripted Sales

14. Find Out What Got In Their Way

Always find out what might have been getting in the person’s way. There may be a blocker or a personal issue that you, as a leader, can help remove. Or perhaps there’s a knowledge gap that you can help fill. Once you understand the “why,” move on to an accountability plan. Work as a team to discuss an action plan for getting the work done in the future. – Stacey Ackerman, NavigateAgile

15. Focus On The Impact Of The Delay

Focusing on the impact of the delay they have caused, rather than just their failure to meet the deadline, is less judgmental and keeps the employee focused on results. Then, propose a new schedule, and ask what you can do to smooth the path for them. Accountability should not be about calling people out. It should be about maximizing results. – Jamie Notter, PROPEL

16. Set Clear Action Steps Going Forward

Expectations regarding accountability should be set at the start of employment, and they must be consistently reinforced to make accountability part of the organizational culture. In a scenario where the employee did not deliver on agreed-upon commitments, the team leader must have a candid discussion to show the link between the activity and its effect on overall outcomes, then set clear action steps going forward. – Erica McKenzie, Creative Brands & Concepts