“Your check-in time is 7:49,” the receptionist told me when I arrived for an eight o’clock doctor’s appointment.

“Thank you,” I said. As I sat down, I thought what a subtle way it was to let people know whether they’re on time.

We’ve become a society that runs increasingly late, with excuses as routine as our morning coffee. We tell ourselves, “They’ll just fit me in” or “I always end up waiting for them anyway.”

On my next visit, I heard the same thing: my check-in time, out loud. That’s when I realized this was more than a courtesy. It was a structure of accountability.

Structure of accountability: something put in place to raise awareness of a behavior.

That office never lectured anyone about being late. They simply made the promise visible. The first time, I thought, “Glad I’m on time.” The second time, the message was clear: being on time matters to them, and they’re keeping track. Now, when I go back, my thought is, “If it’s important to them, it’s important to me.”

Make Promises Visible

Most broken promises at work aren’t acts of defiance. They’re promises nobody could see. A structure of accountability fixes that without micromanaging. A few examples:

  • A shared project board where every commitment has an owner and a date
  • A two-minute recap at the end of each meeting: who promised what, by when
  • A weekly check-in where people report on their own promises before anyone asks

Visible promises get kept. That’s a cornerstone of a Promise-Driven Culture.

What’s one structure of accountability you could put in place this week?

Ready to build a Promise-Driven Culture in your organization? Explore my signature keynote, Manage Promises, Not People, or check my availability for your next leadership meeting or conference.

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