360 Feedback Comment Examples: Accountability

8 positive and 8 constructive comments you can adapt, plus a simple formula for writing your own.

Accountability comments are strongest when they describe a moment when something was at stake and how the person responded. Name what they owned, or avoided owning, and what that meant for the people around them.

Positive comment examples

  • When the campaign results came in below target, you opened the review with what you would do differently before anyone asked. It set the tone for an honest discussion.
  • You treat the outcome as yours, not just your tasks: when the dashboard was delayed by another team, you went and helped them unblock it.
  • After the shipping error reached two customers, you called them yourself, apologised and explained the fix. Both renewed their contracts.
  • In the quarterly planning meeting you set your own targets and then reported against them every month, including the ones you missed.
  • When I raised a concern about your report, you thanked me and corrected it the same afternoon. It made me comfortable flagging issues again.
  • You close the loop on every request you accept, even when the answer is "this is not possible". People never have to wonder where things stand.
  • When you inherited the troubled vendor contract, you did not blame the previous owner. You set out a recovery plan and owned it from day one.
  • You keep a short decision log on your projects, so when questions come up later you can show who decided what and why.

Constructive comment examples

  • In the post-mortem on the delayed release, most of the discussion focused on other teams. Naming one thing you would change yourself would make those reviews more productive.
  • Some tasks assigned to you in our planning meetings have no visible owner a week later. Confirming in writing which ones you are taking would remove the doubt.
  • When a client complaint comes in, it tends to be passed to the next person quickly. Staying with it until it is resolved would build stronger client trust.
  • Targets you agreed at the start of the quarter were not mentioned again until the review. A brief monthly check-in on progress would avoid surprises.
  • When you change your mind on a decision, the team sometimes hears it second-hand. Telling us directly, with the reason, would help us adjust.
  • Mistakes in your reports are usually fixed quietly. Mentioning them openly would help others avoid the same error.
  • Shared goals, like the team's customer satisfaction score, seem to feel like someone else's job. Taking on one action toward them would show real ownership.
  • When deadlines are at risk you tend to wait to see if things recover. Saying early that a date is in danger would let us help before it is too late.

How to write your own comment

Use the Situation – Behaviour – Impact formula, then add one suggestion:

  1. Situation: when and where it happened ("In Tuesday's client call…").
  2. Behaviour: what the person actually said or did, not what you think of them.
  3. Impact: what it changed for you, the team or the customer.
  4. Suggestion (for constructive comments): one concrete thing to try next time.

Not sure your wording is fair? Paste it into the free feedback bias checker to catch vague or biased phrasing.

Frequently asked questions

How do you give feedback on accountability?

Pick a specific moment when something went wrong or was at risk, describe how the person responded, and explain the effect on the team. Then suggest one concrete change, such as confirming owners in writing.

What is an example of positive accountability feedback?

Something like: "When results came in below target, you opened the review with what you would do differently." It names the behaviour and why it mattered to others.

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More comment examples

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