And in other cases, especially when a rep has a history of not meeting expectations, there can be written warnings, suspension and even termination. Again the key factors in consequences as a component of accountability are clarity and follow up . Your employees must understand that they will be expected to perform and they need to clearly understand what the consequences of not meeting expectations will be. It is simply a matter of enforcing rules, so to speak, in a positive, non-threatening manner. If you do, employees will lose respect for you and your credibility will diminish.
Some managers find it difficult to be assertive enough to deal with unmet expectations.
Training in assertiveness might be helpful in overcoming this difficulty. But, don't view instilling accountability as a police action. It is a normal and expected activity in high performing organizations.