Are You Playing Hot Potato at Work?

Do you remember the childhood game Hot Potato? The whole point was to avoid getting caught with the object in your hands. As fast as you could, you’d pass it along to someone else.

It’s a simple game—but unfortunately, it’s one many workplaces still play.

Last month, I wrote about the importance of coaching as a missing piece to help people operate at their maximum potential. But here’s the catch: coaching doesn’t work without accountability. Both individuals and teams must be willing to own their actions, good or bad. When outcomes don’t go as expected, we can’t just shrug and move on. Those moments are learning opportunities—often more powerful than successes.

And yet, in today’s highly collaborative, cross-functional workplaces, accountability often looks more like a round of Hot Potato. A project hits a snag? It’s easy to say, “We did our part—it’s with the other department now.” The intent may not be to throw another team under the bus, but the effect is the same. Responsibility gets passed along, and the opportunity to learn and improve is lost.

The truth is, as organizations become more matrixed—spanning time zones, business units, and even cultures—shared accountability becomes more important, not less. Success can’t belong to one team while failure gets quietly redirected to another. Both outcomes need to be owned together, because both are chances to learn and grow.

So how can leaders help stop the hot potato game?

• Set clear ownership. When responsibilities overlap, leaders need to clarify who owns what—while reinforcing that outcomes belong to the team, not just individuals.

• Model accountability. When leaders admit their own mistakes openly, it signals to the team that accountability isn’t about blame—it’s about growth.

• Ask better questions. Instead of “Who dropped the ball?” leaders can ask, “What can we learn from this?” or “What should we try differently next time?”

• Recognize shared wins. Celebrating team success, not just individual contributions, builds the mindset that accountability is collective.

• Create safety. People won’t take ownership if they fear punishment. Leaders can foster psychological safety so teams know accountability leads to learning, not finger-pointing.

So here’s the challenge:

• As individuals, resist the urge to pass the hot potato. Own your role in outcomes, even when it’s uncomfortable.

• As teams, share accountability. Celebrate wins together, and dissect failures together. Don’t let collaboration become an excuse to deflect responsibility.

• As leaders, create an environment where accountability is expected, modeled, and safe.

Takeaway: Hot potato may have been fun on the playground, but it has no place in the workplace. Accountability—shared and individual—isn’t just about responsibility; it’s the foundation for growth. And it’s up to leaders to set the tone.