Who’s Got This? Building a Culture of Clear Accountability
Accountability is the glue that holds coordinated efforts together.
When multiple teams and individuals are working toward a shared strategic goal, accountability is a magical force that keeps everything aligned and moving forward. Without it, even our best plans can unravel into missed deadlines, finger-pointing, and confusion about who is responsible for what.
Accountability is often thought of as something that flows from the top down—a manager setting goals, checking progress, and ensuring results. But in reality, the most effective accountability happens between peers. When teams hold each other accountable, work moves faster, problems are solved more collaboratively, and people are more motivated to deliver.
Accountability, in this sense, is about commitment. It’s what ensures that when one person completes their piece of the puzzle, the next person is ready to pick it up and keep going.
Accountability Starts with Clarity
To foster a culture of accountability, we first need to ensure everyone knows exactly what they are accountable for.
This means clear expectations around:
What success looks like. Are we aligned on the goals and desired outcomes?
Who is responsible for what. Is there clarity on ownership without overlap or gaps?
When milestones need to be hit. Are we realistic and aligned on timelines?
Without this clarity, it’s easy for teams to fall into the trap of “I thought you were handling that” or “I assumed we had more time.” In contrast, when these elements are crystal clear, teams can hold each other accountable in a constructive, supportive way.
Introducing the Accountability Chart
One practical tool to ensure this level of clarity is an Accountability Chart, a concept from the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) that I’ve modified a bit. Unlike a traditional org chart that focuses on functions, an accountability chart defines who is accountable for objectives and key results within the strategy. It eliminates confusion by ensuring that every major deliverable has a clear person accountable for its completion, preventing the all-too-common issue where tasks fall through the cracks because “everyone” thought “someone” else was handling it.
Once we understand the essential deliverables required to achieve success, we can group them into “seats”—distinct areas of accountability that align with those deliverables—and then assign the right people to own those seats.
A key principle to remember: One person can sit on multiple seats, but multiple people cannot sit on the same seat. This ensures absolute clarity in accountability and eliminates ambiguity, preventing tasks from falling through the cracks.
In an accountability chart, roles are structured around important deliverables, not job titles, which allows teams to see how their work contributes to the bigger picture. This approach helps answer critical questions such as:
Who is ultimately responsible for delivering on this objective?
Who needs to be consulted or informed to ensure success?
Are there any overlaps or gaps that need to be addressed?
By implementing an accountability chart, teams gain confidence in their roles and responsibilities, creating a strong foundation for peer accountability. When everyone knows their lane, they’re empowered to focus on execution rather than worrying about stepping on toes or duplicating efforts.
NOTE: The hierarchy of an Accountability Chart does not need to match the hierarchy of the org chart. It should instead focus on who is best positioned to make key decisions for key objectives.
Building an Accountability Chart
Step 1: Define Key Deliverables
Instead of organizing around traditional functions, start by Key Results that are essential to strategy execution based on OKR work (or other defined goals and objectives). These are the core outcomes the business must achieve to succeed.
Key deliverables might looks like:
Innovative Products – Developing ergonomic, space-efficient home office solutions that meet market demands.
Market Awareness – Positioning our products effectively and reaching our target audience.
Customer Growth – Driving revenue and ensuring long-term customer satisfaction.
Seamless Operations – Managing logistics, procurement, and fulfillment efficiently.
Financial Stability – Ensuring financial planning, budgeting, and profitability.
People & Culture – Building a strong workforce through hiring, development, and culture initiatives.
Step 2: Group Deliverables into Seats
Once we’ve identified the key deliverables, we group related responsibilities into logical seats. For example, responsibilities like content creation, campaign execution, and brand messaging may fall under the seat called “Market Awareness.”
It’s important to consolidate similar tasks to ensure focus while avoiding unnecessary complexity.
Example Seat Grouping:
“Customer Growth” might include lead generation, sales conversion, and onboarding.
“Seamless Operations” might include procurement, inventory management, and fulfillment.
Step 3: Assign Accountability Decision-Makers
For each seat, we assign a single accountable decision-maker—someone who is ultimately responsible for making key decisions and ensuring the function delivers on its goals. While many people contribute to each area, clear decision-making authority helps prevent confusion and keeps initiatives moving forward.
I prefer to use the term “decides” rather than “owns” to emphasize that accountability is about guiding direction and making informed choices—not working in isolation. We want to avoid what I call ‘Stay Out of My Sandbox Syndrome,’ where individuals become territorial and resist input from others. Instead, we aim to foster an environment where deciders are encouraged to seek input to make the best possible decisions for the organization. Decision-makers are accountable for results, but execution remains a shared effort across teams. This approach ensures alignment while encouraging collaboration and preventing territorial behavior that can slow us down.
Here’s an overly simplified version of how we might assign decision-making accountability:
Having clear decision-makers provides structure, but it doesn’t mean they work alone. They rely on their teams to provide input, execute plans, and adapt as needed. This balance of decision-making clarity and shared responsibility helps the entire organization stay agile and aligned.
Step 4: Identify and Address Overlaps or Gaps
Once the initial accountability chart is outlined, we carefully review it to identify any overlaps or gaps.
This helps ensure that:
Accountability is clear and connected to OKRs. Every OKR has a single accountable leader, reducing ambiguity.
Nothing falls through the cracks. All critical areas are covered, leaving no gaps in responsibility.
Cross-functional collaboration is defined. Teams understand how their roles connect with others.
Step 4: Communicate and Reinforce Accountability
Once the accountability chart is finalized, we share it with the entire organization to ensure clarity and buy-in.
Everyone should understand:
Who decides what. Employees know where to direct questions and escalate issues.
How collaboration works. Teams understand interdependencies and where their roles fit.
Reinforcing the accountability chart helps build confidence and empowers employees to take ownership of their work without second-guessing responsibilities.
By taking the time to create and clarify an accountability chart, we ensure that every major function has a clear owner, creating the foundation for effective execution.
Accountability Is a Team Sport
When accountability sits solely with leadership, it creates an unhealthy dynamic where teams feel like they are working for their leaders rather than with each other. The best teams understand that accountability is shared across the group. They see their commitments not as obligations to leadership, but as promises to their peers.
Consider a software development team working on a major product launch. When one team member falls behind, it’s not just the project manager who should take notice—it’s their teammates who depend on their work to move forward. In high-functioning teams, this peer accountability happens naturally, with people proactively checking in, offering support, and course-correcting as needed.
Leaders Set the Tone, But Don’t Own It All
As leaders, our role is to create the right environment for peer accountability to thrive. This means setting expectations, providing resources, and most importantly, modeling the right behaviors. If we always jump in to solve every issue, it undercuts the team’s ability to hold each other accountable.
Instead, we should focus on enabling the team by:
Providing clarity, then stepping back. Ensure goals and expectations are clear, then allow the team to self-organize.
Encouraging open feedback. Make it safe for teams to call out risks and dependencies without fear of blame.
Celebrating team-driven accountability. When peers hold each other accountable effectively, recognize and reinforce it.
Accountability Without Micromanagement
It’s easy to conflate accountability with control, but they are not the same. Effective accountability empowers rather than restricts. It gives teams the autonomy to figure out how to achieve their goals while staying aligned on what needs to be delivered.
The key is to create forums where teams can regularly connect, share progress, and surface challenges—without adding unnecessary bureaucracy. These forums should foster open dialogue, helping teams stay on track while maintaining the flexibility to adjust as needed.
Some ways to encourage accountability without micromanagement include:
Establishing shared visibility. Use tools like dashboards or trackers that provide an easy, real-time view of progress without requiring constant status updates.
Regular, structured check-ins. Whether they happen daily, weekly, or bi-weekly, the goal is to provide opportunities for teams to align, raise concerns, and collaborate on solutions.
Focused discussions on blockers and adjustments. Encourage a problem-solving mindset by creating space to address roadblocks early and make course corrections.
When accountability is supported by the right communication rhythms and tools, teams feel trusted to do their work while staying connected to the bigger picture. Shifting the focus from oversight to collaboration helps build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
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This post is an excerpt from my upcoming book, a practical handbook for executing strategy from an operator’s point of view. Drawing on decades of real-world experience, it’s designed to help leaders turn strategy into action through clear, actionable steps. Stay tuned for more insights and updates as we get closer to launch!
