Hi Linda,
Yes, I can see you are reading my post through the "accountability" lens. Your concern for how one would be held accountable or for personal accountability is understandable and I share your passion for accountability. A blog was too long to go into how this idea could be implemented. See Jon Mertz's comment related to accountability, above.

Suffice it to say that I was floating the notion that by virtue of a title / roll, we start behaving "as if," and how we perceive that roll. The language we use shapes our reality. If we used the title "mentor" along with expectation setting and coaching for that role, perhaps people would behave differently. Perhaps we could move away from the parent (authority) / child set-up? Perhaps accountability would be enacted in an entirely different way because of the new title/role and associated perceptions of that role?

Thanks so much for your comments.
Wendy