The 3 Rights Philosophy of Leadership
By Melissa Ketler, BA, MA
When I first stepped into contact centre management almost 25 years ago, I learned a simple but powerful concept from a leader that taught me my first leadership lessons and who inspired me to continue on this path: the 3 Rights Philosophy. It remains a practical reminder of what every employee deserves from their leader.
Every team member has the right to three things:
- The right to understand the expectations and targets for their role.
- The right to know how they are performing in relation to those expectations.
- The right to access support and coaching to meet or exceed those expectations.
Whenever performance issues arise, I return to this framework. I have printed these out and attached to my computer many times as a constant reminder of my core responsibilities to those I am entrusted to lead. In my experience, when someone is struggling, it’s usually because one of these three rights hasn’t been met.
Where leaders often fall short
Most organizations are clear about expectations, but not always (Right #1). Sometimes leaders and organizations assume the employees understand expectations, but in reality, it's best to ask the employee if they know what's expected. Make sure targets are clear and what achieving them looks like. What’s most often missing are the second and third rights:
- Regular feedback on performance. In roles without obvious numerical targets, structured feedback can fall through the cracks. People still need to know how they are meeting expectations.
- Effective coaching and support. Pointing out a gap isn’t the same as coaching. Telling someone to “move from 10% to 15%” without exploring the root cause or mapping next steps won’t drive improvement. Most employees want to succeed; leaders who investigate the “why” and co-create solutions set everyone up for success.
Why this matters
Organizations that teach leaders how to coach effectively will build stronger teams and achieve better outcomes. Coaching is not micromanagement; it’s clarity, accountability, and support.
Next time a team member is missing the mark, review these 3 rights and determine how to correct it if any of these rights are not being met.