M22BuildPeople· Module 5
Accountability
Targets are missed and nothing follows. Everyone is responsible, so no one is.
- Stabilise
- Manage
- Fix
- People
- Leadership
- Governance
- ~5 min · Matrix
The business problem
In many businesses, accountability means being blamed after something goes wrong. Results are shared among several people, commitments are vague, and follow-up depends on the founder remembering. Missed targets become normal.
Why it matters
Accountability is a system, not a personality trait: one owner per result, a clear commitment, visible progress and a regular review. Without it, strategy and plans are never delivered.
What you will learn
- Assign one owner to each result
- Turn vague intentions into specific commitments
- Make progress visible and review it regularly
- Handle missed commitments consistently and fairly
Core questions
- Does every important result have exactly one owner?
- Are commitments specific: what, by when, how measured?
- Where are commitments reviewed?
- What happens when a commitment is missed, and is it the same for everyone?
Work through the module
CaseWhat is happening?
Retail chain, 30 people · Illustrative teaching case
A relative of the founder manages stock. Counts don't match, and staff are reluctant to raise it. The business introduces the same rules for everyone: separated duties, monthly independent counts, and a stock accuracy measure owned by the stock manager and reviewed in the monthly meeting.
Full teaching case: The Family Employee Problem
DecisionWhat does the leader need to decide?
Protect the relationship, or apply the same accountability to everyone?
FrameworkHow should they think about the problem?
The accountability loop
Owner → commitment → visibility → review → consequence. Every step must exist. If any is missing — no single owner, a vague commitment, no data, no review, or no consistent consequence — accountability fails.
ToolWhat can they use?
Accountability mapMatrix
- List the 10–15 results that matter most
- Name one owner for each
- Write the commitment: measure, target, date
- Name where and how often it is reviewed
ApplicationHow does it apply to their business?
Apply it to your own business:
- Build the accountability map for your top results
- Find results with no owner or several owners
- Fix those first
ImplementationWhat changes?
What should change in the business:
- Review commitments in the management rhythm
- Record missed commitments and agreed recovery actions
- Apply the same rules to family members and long-serving staff
ReviewDid it work?
How to tell whether the change worked:
- Is the share of commitments delivered on time rising?
- Are missed commitments raised early by owners themselves?
- Do staff see the rules applied consistently?
After this module you should be able to decide
Protect the relationship, or apply the same accountability to everyone?
And leave with: A single-owner accountability map for key results.
Sequence · People