The “Say-Do Ratio” measures the difference between what someone says and what they really do.
And here’s the best part: once you start keeping track of it, you’ll see how useful it is, not just for teams, but also for your own credibility as a leader.
What is Say-Do Ratio?
The Say-Do Ratio is a simple but powerful metric that measures execution reliability, how often people or teams actually deliver on what they said they would do.
What is the Math Behind the Say-Do Ratio?
The formula is so easy that it’s silly:
Say-Do Ratio = (Commitments completed ÷ Commitments made) × 100
Your Say-Do Ratio is 90% if you promise to do 10 things and actually do 9 of them. Simple.
Here’s why it matters: people are naturally inclined to recognize patterns of trustworthiness. We keep track of who keeps their word without even thinking about it. A consistently high Say-Do Ratio makes people feel safe. A low one chips away at it.
What is the science of commitment and following through?
Recent studies show that the Say-Do Ratio is not just a passing trend in management. Research shows that team accountability is closely linked to trust, commitment, effectiveness, and emotional connection with the team. When teams take responsibility for their work, they not only do a better job, but they also feel better about it.
Researchers call the psychology behind completing a commitment “implementation intentions.”
Psychologist Peter Gollwitzer’s research shows that people who make specific “if-then” plans are much more likely to keep their promises. The key is to go from vague plans (“I’ll do it later”) to clear plans of action (“I’ll do it at 3 pm after lunch”).
Why do teams have trouble sticking to their plans?
Teams often intend to stick to their plans, but reality gets in the way. The Say-Do Ratio framework is so useful because it exposes exactly where those intentions break down.
Here are the main reasons most teams struggle with execution: This is where most teams make mistakes:
1. Overpromising
We agree to too many things because they sound good at the time. According to research, 85% of survey respondents didn’t know what their organizations were trying to accomplish. One-third said that changing priorities made it almost impossible to hold people accountable.
2. Ambiguity
It’s hard to measure vague promises like “I’ll look into it.” Because people weren’t sure about the key results, 70% of those who took the survey said that their organization’s key results were in danger or completely doomed.
3. No feedback loops
If no one keeps track of execution, under-delivery goes unnoticed. Teams fall into what Harvard Business Review calls “a culture of mediocrity and lackluster organizational performance” when they don’t have systems in place to hold them accountable.
4. Gaming the system
Teams often game the Say-Do Ratio in complicated work settings by making safe promises or avoiding hard work. This can stop new ideas and growth.
What are the 4 hidden costs of low Say-Do Ratios?
Not being responsible doesn’t just make managers mad; it also has real effects on the business.
5. Trust erosion
Research shows that turnover is higher in low-trust organizations, and when organizations fail to hold team members accountable for execution, trust and engagement suffer.
6. Resource waste
Teams spend more time explaining delays than delivering results.
7. Opportunity cost
93% of people surveyed couldn’t align their work with their organization’s goals, meaning valuable effort gets misdirected
8. Cultural degradation
Inconsistency becomes the norm, which lowers standards throughout the company.
Track your team’s Say-Do Ratio with Profit.co and build a culture of accountability.
How Leaders Can Use the Say-Do Ratio Without Ruining Morale
Be careful, though: numbers can work against you. The Say-Do Ratio can turn into a “survival metric” that punishes teams for changing and rewards those who cheat the system. If you use it as a weapon, it will make people scared instead of making them responsible. Instead, think of it as a “mirror, not a hammer”:
Celebrate reliability
Give credit to people who always follow through on their promises. The way leaders act is the most important thing that affects accountability in their organizations, according to 84% of those surveyed
Spot overcommitment
Don’t punish people; help them get back on track. Some leaders think that being accountable and caring about others are two things that can’t go together. The best leaders find a way to do both.
Coach, don’t criticize
A low ratio is usually not because someone is lazy but because they didn’t plan or prioritize well. Instead of blaming people, work on making systems better.
Be open to change
In complicated systems, flow metrics and continuous forecasting may be more useful than strict commitment tracking.
It’s like a Fitbit for trust. You’re not judging; you’re making people aware.
How Leaders Can Use the Say-Do Ratio Without Ruining Morale
The Say-Do Ratio started out in agile software development, but now it’s used in many fields as a way to measure how accountable a team is.
Different fields use it in these ways:
- Healthcare teams: Keeping track of when care protocols are followed and when patients are followed up on
- Sales organizations: Keeping track of when clients follow through on their promises and when internal deadlines are met
- Manufacturing: Keeping track of when production schedules and quality commitments are met.
- Professional services: Keeping track of when deliveries are made on time and when internal milestones are met.
To make it easier for researchers to work together, academic medical centers have started using team accountability tools like clear expectation setting and responsibility matrices.
What are the advanced Say-Do Ratio metrics?
If your team is ready to go deeper, think about these better ways to keep track of things:
- Weighted commitments: Not every promise is the same. Give more weight to commitments based on their importance, complexity, or effect on the business
- Context-adjusted ratios: Take into account outside factors like changing needs, limited resources, or market conditions.
- Trend analysis: Look at ratios over time to find patterns and ways to make things better.
- Team vs. individual ratios: Look at how well the whole team does and how each person contributes.
Here are five small but effective ways to improve your ratio:
- 1. Commit to less: only say yes when you really want to. Studies show that for implementation intentions to work, you need to be very committed to both the plan and the goal.
- 2. Write it down: people who keep track of their promises are 42% more likely to keep them. Writing something down makes a mental commitment that saying it out loud doesn’t.
- 3. Use implementation intentions: Instead of saying “I’ll do it later,” say “I’ll do it at 3 pm after lunch.” This “if-then” planning method makes it much more likely that people will follow through.
- 4. Close the loop: Let your teammates know what’s going on, even if the plan changes. Being open about changes keeps trust better than not saying anything.
- 5. Think about it every week: Did I keep my promises this week? What stopped me from going through with it? How can I make my plans better?
What are the tech solutions for keeping track of what you say and do?
Built-in Say-Do Ratio reporting is now available in modern project management tools . This is how to use them:
- Tracking by sprint: Look at the work that was promised at the beginning of each sprint cycle and see how it compares to what was actually done.
- Scope change accounting: Keep track of not only how many things get done, but also how changes in scope during execution affect the overall delivery
- Breakdown analysis: Use filters to figure out which kinds of work or team members finish things in different ways.
- Setting goals: Set goals for each team based on their experience, past performance, and level of maturity.
How the Say-Do Ratio is the Cultural Multiplier in Teams?
When people improve their Say-Do Ratio, teams naturally become more dependable. Projects get sent out on time. Meetings go from making excuses to giving updates on progress.
The biggest change, though, is in the culture. Studies show that on the best teams, when problems come up, team members immediately and respectfully confront each other. This leads to more innovation, trust, and productivity.
Team accountability builds a base where trust, commitment, effectiveness, and emotional connection with the team all work together to make each other stronger.
A team with a high Say-Do Ratio doesn’t just do things better in the long run. They “feel better” because trust is what holds performance together.
When the Say-Do Ratio Isn’t Enough
Critics say that Say-Do Ratio can be a “dead end” metric in complicated work settings, where being able to change and learn is more important than sticking to strict rules. Think about these other options or additions:
- Flow metrics: Monitor cycle time , lead time, and throughput to assess the effectiveness of the system.
- Continuous forecasting: Make predictions based on a range of possibilities instead of making fixed commitments.
- Value delivery: Look at outcomes and impact instead of just completion rates.
- Learning velocity: Keep track of how quickly teams adapt and improve their processes.
The most important thing is to find a balance between being accountable and being flexible so that your metrics encourage the behaviors you want.
How to Build a Say-Do Culture
5 Leadership Tips
Keeping track of numbers isn’t enough to make accountability last. Here are some ways that leaders can create a culture where high Say-Do Ratios happen on their own:
- Model the behavior: By admitting your own mistakes and setting a good example, you make the team feel safe.
- Set clear expectations: Teams need to know what their purpose, goals, roles, and strategies are from the start, using tools like team charters.
- Make feedback loops: Teams need access to important performance metrics and analytics to help them make smart decisions based on facts.
- Focus on systems:Instead of asking, “Who isn’t performing?” When ratios are low, ask, “What in our process makes it hard to follow through?”
- Celebrate adaptation: Give teams credit for changing their plans based on new information instead of sticking to their original plans.
What are the benchmarks for the Say-Do Ratio?
The Say-Do Ratio changes depending on the situation:
Individual contributors
85–95% is great for everyday tasks, and 70–80% might be better for research or experimental projects.
Team commitments
Many agile teams aim for 85% completion rates, with warning levels set at 70%.
At the organizational level
Look at trends instead of exact numbers; consistent improvement is more important than being perfect
Complex projects
Lower ratios might be okay if they show that the project was carefully planned and not just poorly planned.
Keep in mind that the goal is not to make perfect predictions, but to communicate clearly and keep getting better.
5 Common Say-Do Ratio Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- The perfectionist trap: Don’t ask for 100% completion rates, which leads to sandbagging and makes people less likely to set big goals.
- The blame game: Use ratio data to make systems better, not to punish people
- The problem with rigidity: Don’t let ratio tracking stop you from making changes that need to be made when things change.
- The gaming response: Keep an eye out for teams that make too many safe bets to boost their ratios.
- The need to measure:Keep in mind that the ratio is a means to an end (trust and effectiveness), not an end in and of itself
What Will Happen to Accountability Metrics in the Future
Accountability metrics are changing as work becomes more complicated and spread out. Companies are moving toward flow-based metrics, continuous forecasting, and adaptability measures that work with traditional Say-Do tracking.
The best teams will probably use a mix of accountability measures:
- The say-do ratio for work that is routine and predictable
- Flow metrics for work that is complex and adaptive
- Value delivery metrics for initiatives that are focused on outcomes
- The speed at which you learn for innovation projects
Last thought
Your Say-Do Ratio is more than just a number. It’s a sign of honesty, self-control, and respect for other people’s time.
Studies show that teams that hold each other accountable have more trust, commitment, and emotional connection to their work. But the real power isn’t in the measurement itself; it’s in the conversations and changes that measurement makes possible.
Here’s a challenge: for the next two weeks, keep track of your own ratio. Pay attention to the patterns. Then, think about what would happen if everyone on your team raised theirs by just 10%.
That’s the kind of small change in behavior that can lead to big changes in culture.
The goal isn’t to be perfect; it’s to make progress. And in a world where trust is getting harder to find, being able to do what you say you’ll do is more than just a nice-to-have. It gives you an edge over your competitors.