What is the Accountability Chart? What is its purpose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Accountability Chart is an organizational chart that defines the departments and roles in your business. The purpose of the Accountability Chart is to define the responsibilities, functions, and lines of accountability between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here is how to create an Accountability Chart for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Before you can put people in positions, you need an accountability structure. The Accountability Chart is an organization chart that defines the functions (departments) and roles in your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A business typically has three major functions or departments, which are equally important and interdependent: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All three functions need to be strong or the company will struggle. For instance, it will fail if it has a strong sales effort but the operations department can\u2019t reliably deliver the product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the Accountability Chart, visualize the three functions as three boxes lined up horizontally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only one person should be in charge of each function and accountable for its performance. If you have more than one name in a box on your organization chart, your lines of accountability aren\u2019t clear, and this is likely hindering your company\u2019s ability to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some functions may be subdivided\u2014for instance sales and marketing or finance and administration may be split\u2014but remember to keep things simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To coordinate the three major departments and manage the tension that will develop among department heads, a company needs an \u201cintegrator,\u201d usually a general manager, CEO, or president, who runs the overall business. In addition to the integrator, many organizations have another key role: that of visionary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The visionary is usually the company\u2019s owner, co-owner, or founder. When there are co-founders or partners, one is often the visionary and the other the integrator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re opposites in many ways. The integrator manages the business nuts and bolts: profit and loss, overall business objectives, and day-to-day operations<\/strong>. The integrator is a good manager, who solves problems and holds people accountable. She tends to be practical and logical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, the visionary is a creative person, whose new ideas keep the company growing<\/strong>. He solves big problems and is good at building outside relationships with banks, vendors, and key clients. The visionary is attuned to the company culture<\/a> and morale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The visionary and integrator have unique talents and complement each other when working within a structure that defines their roles and responsibilities. If a company has a visionary leader<\/a> but lacks an integrator, the leader may struggle to gain traction and feel frustrated at having to get involved in day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Accountability Chart identifies the key roles within the accountability structure of each major business function or department. For example, the visionary function\u2019s roles might be: research and development (ideas), problem-solving, key relationships, selling, and culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone on the chart who has direct reports is responsible for three things\u2014leading, managing, and holding people accountable<\/a>, which can be designated on the chart by the acronym LMA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To fill out your Accountability Chart:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your Accountability Chart should look like a typical organization chart, but with bullet points indicating roles. In total, it defines functions, roles, and the reporting structure. Your structure creates accountability. Meanwhile, your culture should be open and honest, encouraging communication across all organizational lines, so there are no silos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve created your accountability structure, your ultimate goal is for people to be in positions where they\u2019re functioning at their highest level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When considering someone for a position, use the GWC tool. Ask yourself whether they: 1) \u201cget\u201d it, 2) want it, and 3) are capable of doing it. No one can perform at their highest level without meeting all three criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, when you have a performance problem\u2014when someone isn\u2019t meeting their job responsibilities\u2014it\u2019s usually because they don\u2019t meet one of the criteria. As a result, you can\u2019t delegate responsibility<\/a> to them because you can\u2019t trust them to do the job; you have to do part of it yourself and you\u2019re both frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what the criteria mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) G: Get it<\/strong>: When someone \u201cgets\u201d or understands a job, they fully grasp the role and responsibilities, including the systems, deadlines, and the way the job relates to other positions and the company\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) W: Want it<\/strong>: To do well in a job, the person also must have a strong desire and motivation to do it, as well as truly enjoy it. He doesn\u2019t need to be pushed or cajoled by a manager to do what’s required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) C: Are Capable of doing it<\/strong>: Being capable means having the intellectual, physical, and emotional capacity to do the job. A position may require more than 40 hours a week, which not everyone will want to commit to, or it requires certain experience, knowledge, or interpersonal skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In applying the GWC test, you may find that one or more members of your leadership team are in the wrong position, and you\u2019ll need to make leadership changes to achieve your vision. Here are some additional personnel considerations:<\/p>\n\n\n\nDefining Roles<\/strong> With Accountability Chart<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Right Positions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n