If you’re a one-person company, then the buck stops with you. If you have teammates, however, then it’s crucial to determine who is doing what.
A few years ago, our teammates had some training with leadership & business coach @theresaloe, and she explained the difference between being responsible for something and being accountable for it — and it helped us to streamline our workday and projects!
The person who is responsible for something is the one actually doing it (writing the email, proofreading the blog post, planning the content). The person accountable for it is the one making sure it’s getting done.
Jenny is responsible for writing a GOW blog post, Claire is responsible for proofreading it, Melissa is responsible for drafting it, and Gabriela is accountable to Katie to make sure all of that gets done. Everyone knows their part of the job, and Katie is freed up to do her brilliant Katie thing.
When your company experiences delays, parts of the work not being done, and other dropped balls, take a look into who is responsible for every part of that project and, ultimately, who is accountable. Chances are good that you’ll find a chink in the armor — roles that are not clearly defined, a workflow that is unclear, or job roles overlapping. Easy fixes to ensure your company operates smoothly and efficiently!
