The Accountability Chart helped us know who is doing what and who is responsible for what. Previously, there was a lot of overlap, which caused a lot of confusion.
—DANIELLE HICKS, account services, Design at Work
Picture an organization with 35 people where roles and responsibilities are unclear. No one is quite sure who is accountable for what. The result is people all tripping over each other. Everyone working hard but running in circles, accomplishing very little despite all the effort. Deadlines and opportunities are missed. Frustration is high, and everyone is blaming everyone else. With all the finger-pointing, you have to wear eye protection so you don’t get poked in the eye. This is the picture of an organization lacking an Accountability Chart.
Great organizations define and implement the right structure (simplest and best) that will most effectively deliver their products or services to the customer. It also helps them manage their growth to the next level.
The right structure creates a well-functioning and healthy workplace where communication flows easily. Great organizations clearly communicate this right structure to the entire company so everyone understands where they fit into the big picture and how they contribute to achieving the company’s vision.
The right structure will:
• Clarify roles and responsibilities so that accountability is clear.
• Create clear reporting lines.
• Facilitate efficient decision making and problem solving.
• Help people know who to work with to get things done.
• Enable communication flow.
• Identify all of the available seats in the organization.
When companies start out and have only a few people (fewer than 10), the all-for-one-and-one-for-all approach is okay. This is normal in a start-up when people must wear many different hats to help the company survive.
However, as companies mature (more than 10), they reach a tipping point when this all-for-one approach becomes a roadblock to growth and people start tripping over each other. Everyone is still trying to do everything, and that just doesn’t work anymore. The company stalls, sales stay flat, pressure and stress increase, and then the blame game starts.
Why? Because no one knows who’s responsible for what, and no one is held accountable for anything. One person described their company in this state: “There were too many cooks in the kitchen.” As an example, you miss a customer deadline, and everyone starts pointing fingers, because there were so many people involved in hitting the deadline. Or you lose a major customer, and 4 different people have 4 different versions of what happened. No one has ownership or accountability. The fact is, if everyone is accountable, then no one is.
When accountability and reporting structure are unclear, people don’t know who to go to with questions or concerns or to solve issues. It is pure chaos, communication is a mess, and everyone is frustrated.
The Accountability Chart is the EOS tool companies use to illustrate the right structure. It is a supercharged organizational chart that, in addition to showing structure, clarifies the roles and responsibilities of everyone in the organization. It eliminates multiple and often confusing reporting lines between managers and employees.
Further, it establishes clear ownership and accountability for everything that must get done in your company. It crystallizes your company’s structure so that everyone knows who is doing what, who is responsible for what, and who reports to whom.
“The Accountability Chart helped me understand where I fit in the bigger picture and what everyone else is doing,” said Doug Hebert, a graphic artist at Savage Brands.
What makes an Accountability Chart different from a traditional organizational chart is, first, there are no dotted lines (dotted lines mean an employee reports to multiple bosses, which causes confusion). Second, for each seat in the company, 5 or so bullet points clarify the major roles of that job (as shown below):
When the Accountability Chart is complete, every seat in the company will be defined with clear roles and responsibilities. Because every organization is different, no 2 Accountability Charts will look the same. There is no “right” answer, there is only the right answer for your company based on your size, growth goals, culture, product, or service. On the next page is an example of a company’s complete Accountability Chart.
If you haven’t seen your company’s Accountability Chart yet, your leadership team will probably be sharing it with you soon. You can also ask your manager when it will be ready.
You will notice in the example on the following page, the Field Tech seat doesn’t have a name, only “7 People” in it. This represents the number of people in that seat performing the same function. The purpose of the Accountability Chart is not to show all the names in an organization but, instead, all the functions, or “seats” as we like to call them.
The intention is to show how different job functions can be scaled. That way, as your company grows, the Accountability Chart doesn’t need to. If you illustrated every name in a 200-person company, you’d need a gigantic document, because 200 seats and names would have to be included.
The Accountability Chart is a dynamic tool that is always evolving. It is intended to help your company anticipate structural changes needed to get to the next level. As companies grow, this ability to adjust is critical—structures, roles, and responsibilities will need to change. In fast-growing companies, the Accountability Chart may change as often as every 90 days.
In one case, an oil-and-gas company in Calgary, Alberta, grew from $20 million to over $140 million in revenue in just 4 years. As organizational complexity increased, their Accountability Chart evolved every 90 days to accommodate the explosive growth.
When clear roles have been established, you may see some changes in your organization. People may change seats or even leave. Don’t worry: this is actually a sign of your company getting stronger, healthier, and achieving its goals. In fact, you may even have the opportunity to change seats as the organization grows. It is impossible for a company to grow from 10 people to 200 people without major structural and people changes. In order for a company to survive, it must remain agile and flexible.
As Joel Talley in business development at Nexus Health Systems said, “I was asked to change my seat. I moved into a seat that fits what I do best, to use my unique skills. This has significantly changed my career path in a very positive way.”
While the Accountability Chart clarifies roles, responsibilities, and the reporting structure, it does not define your communication structure. In no way should the Accountability Chart create silos or divisions within the company. As shown in the following illustration, communication should flow freely across all lines and departments, creating an open and honest culture. The Accountability Chart should help people know who they need to go to or work with to get the job done.
Kevin Polachowski, scheduler at Burkard Industries, described communication at his company this way: “Before EOS, there was a lot of ‘go talk to this person’ or confusion about who to talk to. After EOS, everyone now knows who to talk to about problems they may have instead of going to several different people and wasting time. Communication flows openly between departments. There are no more silos.”
With your Accountability Chart complete, you will have the right structure to lift your company to the next level. You’ll know the roles and responsibilities of everyone in the company as well as all of the “seats.” It will be clear who to go to for help or with questions. You will also know whose eyeballs to look into when there is an issue in a specific area of the company.
Open and honest communication will be flowing freely across departments, and you will be solving issues and making decisions easier and faster. There will be greater ownership and accountability throughout the organization. Most importantly, you’ll know where you fit in the bigger picture and how you contribute to the overall Vision of your company.
As one employee summarized it, “Now, everyone’s roles are defined, and people know what they are responsible and accountable for, which has increased the level of trust throughout our organization and greatly improved our communication.”
Your role is to know your seat and where you fit in your company’s Accountability Chart as well as to understand and fulfill the responsibilities of your role. To help with that, ask your manager the following 3 questions.
1. What seat am I in, and what are my 5 roles and/or responsibilities?
2. Am I in the Right Seat, where I can contribute the most to the organization?
3. What are your 5 roles and/or responsibilities, and how can I help you?
