I was recently introduced to the Ladder of Accountability and think it could be a useful group facilitation tool.

As the name implies, the Ladder of Accountability can be used to assess the level of accountability in a group. It can help teams examine an issue that they are dealing with and make some intentional choices about how they want to handle it.

See here for a detailed infographic (the smaller text is worth reading even if the word choices are sometimes off-putting; click on the image for an enlarged view):

Here is one way I imagine using it: I am working with a group and we want to assess where things are at for a particular issue/element of the project. I could ask each of the group members to individually and anonymously circle the rung of the ladder they believe we’re on. A look at the responses would provide the facilitator with a sense of how the group is feeling. The results could be a starting place for a group conversation.

Additional Resources

• The What, Why, When and How of the Ladder of Influence (for use in teams, 2 page PDF)
• How Accountability Leads to Success (a description of using the Ladder to look at individual accountability)
• Lean Ladder of Self Responsibility & Accountability (description of different rungs and how to use in team or  with self

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