Bridging the Clarity and Accountability Gap in Your Practice
Let’s talk about something that’s low-key sabotaging your team (and your sanity): the gap between what you think you're communicating and what your team is actually hearing. That little space where intentions get lost, expectations get fuzzy, and suddenly you’re circling back for the fifth damn time on something that should’ve been handled.
The Clarity Gap (a.k.a. Why You Keep Repeating Yourself)
This is about that awkward zone where you think you’ve been clear—but nothing’s actually happening the way it should. The clarity gap shows up in all kinds of ways, and it’s sneaky. It can look like confusion, disengagement, or dropped balls. The goal? Figure out where things are getting muddled, clean it up, and get honest about whether you’ve got a clarity issue, an accountability problem, or both.
Scenario One: The Flaky Clinical Lead
You’ve got a clinical lead who keeps saying they’re “on it,” but deadlines are still flying by like tumbleweeds. First question—have you defined their role clearly? Like, is it in writing and easy to follow? If not, that’s on you. But if everything is spelled out and they’re still dropping the ball, it’s not about clarity anymore—it’s about accountability. Time to set expectations and consequences.
Scenario Two: The Chronic Meeting Talker
You know the one. They dominate every meeting, while everyone else awkwardly stares into the Zoom void. If you haven’t set meeting norms, talked about equal participation, or clarified the structure, you’ve got a clarity problem. But if all that’s in place and they’re still steamrolling? That’s on them—and you’ve got to address it directly. One-on-one. Kindly, but firmly. No passive-aggressive side comments allowed.
Scenario Three: The Half-Assed Documentation
Ah, the classic. Notes that are late, incomplete, or just... not done. If expectations around documentation (timing, formatting, compliance) aren’t clear and written down, there’s your clarity issue. But if you have made it clear and it’s still happening? That’s an accountability issue, plain and simple. And pretending it’s not is just enabling it.
What to Do About It
Start with clarity. Always. Make expectations explicit. Get them in writing. Invite questions. Create space for people to say, “Wait, what?” Once you’ve done that—and I mean really done that—then it’s time to shift to accountability. Hold the line. Follow through. Consequences aren’t mean; they’re structure.
Things to Reflect On
Where are you assuming people “just get it” when you’ve never actually explained it?
Are you avoiding hard conversations by pretending the issue is unclear?
Are you more comfortable in ambiguity because it lets you off the hook for accountability?
Final Thoughts
Clarity and accountability are like peanut butter and jelly—different things, but they belong together. When you confuse them, you end up frustrated and burnt out. When you separate and address them? You build a team that knows what’s expected and actually follows through.
If you want more support in making that happen, the Culture Focused Practice Membership is where the good stuff lives. Live Q&As, trainings, and the space to figure out how all of this applies to your team, not someone else's.
You don’t need more theory. You need practical, culture-first leadership support. That’s what we’re doing here. Let’s make it real.
About the Author
Dr. Tara Vossenkemper is a gently-candid consultant who’s been in the trenches of group practice ownership since 2017. With a hearty blend of depth, irreverence, and a solid dash of humor (or so she hopes), Tara helps practice owners navigate the can-be-messy process of hiring, culture-building, vision generating, people-y issues, and all the other things that keep you up at night. When she’s not consulting, she’s probably wrangling her animals or homeschooling her kids—because why not add more chaos to the mix?
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