I agree with you, but I also want to take it further. I feel like we're dealing with consequences here instead of dealing with the root cause. Perhaps it would be even more effective to have each individual proclaim beforehand what their contribution to the teams next milestone is going to be, and then ask people to report on their progress. In a sufficiently friendly environment you wouldn't have a problem in having people pick up responsibility without being nudged, be it in public or private. Any situation where you have to nudge someone is a consequence of an earlier failure. It would be super helpful to have a practical advice on how to create and foster such environment.
More than any particular answer, bowever, we need a forum for having such conversations.
Trust is a big ingredient here. You have to foster an environment of trust. Do your reports trust that if a problem is brought up, that the focus is on solving the problem through better training or modifying process? Or are they fearful because they worry that they will be singled out?
I feel like the article fails on that point. If a meeting becomes about how the team can better light a fire under Ted's lazy ass, that will be worse for the team than even the private criticism, I think. It doesn't help build trust.
More than any particular answer, bowever, we need a forum for having such conversations.