{"id":4040,"date":"2023-08-08T20:52:47","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T02:52:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:10043\/?p=4040"},"modified":"2025-02-11T10:40:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T16:40:23","slug":"how-an-accountability-chart-can-streamline-your-business-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atiba.com\/how-an-accountability-chart-can-streamline-your-business-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How an accountability chart can streamline your business strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared in\u00a0The Tennessean<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNobody can do everything well. Would you want to have Einstein on your basketball team? When he fails to dribble and shoot well, would you think badly of him? Should he feel humiliated? Imagine all the areas in which Einstein was incompetent and imagine how hard he struggled to excel even in the areas in which he was the best in the world.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

-Ray Dalio, Hedge Fund Manager and Author<\/em><\/p>\n

I was reminded of this quote (one of my all-time favorites) during our company\u2019s strategic planning retreat last week.<\/p>\n

We were doing a review of our “accountability chart.”<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the heck is an accountability chart?\u201d\u00a0 you may ask.<\/p>\n

I first came across the concept in the book “Traction” by Gino Wickman a few years ago.\u00a0 As its name implies, an accountability chart defines who is responsible for what. It gives clarity to each person in an organization regarding what they should be focused on and what tasks they \u201cown.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s a great way to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.<\/p>\n

Some see it as an \u201corg chart\u201d on steroids.\u00a0 But in reality, it\u2019s so much more.<\/p>\n

Part of the process of building an accountability chart is making sure the right people are in the right seats. \u00a0Does the person who is accountable for marketing have the skills, interest, and capacity to succeed?\u00a0 Is the HR person the best fit for the role?<\/p>\n

It requires everyone in the room to have a healthy dose of humility.\u00a0 It\u2019s not about how smart or talented anyone is, but whether they have the knowledge and talent to fit the role to which they are assigned.<\/p>\n

In our company, if I am the Einstein of finance, that doesn\u2019t mean I am the best fit for sales.\u00a0 And to be a good leader, it\u2019s important for me not only to accept that, but to embrace it both for my own job satisfaction as well as for the greater good of the entire company.<\/p>\n

As we reviewed our accountability chart, a few interesting revelations came up.<\/p>\n