An org chart that actually works

The Playbook

What is an accountability chart?

At first, you might think an accountability chart is basically just an org chart, with names and titles.

And don’t get me wrong — this is a good start. But it doesn’t tell you what the “Finance Admin Manager” actually does. An org chart like this leaves a TON of room for confusion and inefficiency.

• Work submitted to the wrong people

• Unnecessary or missing CCs on emails, cluttering up inboxes across the org

• Details falling through the cracks when roles aren’t clear

• “Who’s responsible for x?”

It may seem small, but the wasted time, energy, and resources add up fast. 

Enter: the accountability chart.

An accountability chart is a document that clearly defines roles, responsibilities, and ownership within your company. It lets everyone in the company understand what needs to be done and who is responsible for doing it.

To make one, start by organizing your company by its major functions. Then the chart shows each area of responsibility, which employee owns that function, and lists the roles each employee performs within a function. 

For example:

This makes it much easier to find out who to go to, to get something done, and who is responsible for performing a particular task.

It is also handy to identify when something is falling through the cracks and where to fill that functional gap in the organization.

If everyone knows what they are responsible for they feel trusted and empowered. That improves morale and reduces turnover.

A win-win all around!

Now let’s get down to the details…

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Making an accountability chart

This version of the accountability chart follows the model from EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System). I run all my businesses by this system, and highly recommend picking up the book Traction to learn about it. 

Step 1: Define the basic company structure.

Start by defining the structure of your company — not the people! 

First, what are the core functions of the business? 

Most businesses have 3-5 core functions e.g. Sales/Marketing, Client/Customer Services, Finance/Admin.

Above the core function areas, there is the integrator. This role makes sure all the core functions are working together towards a common goal and vision. This role is often filled by a founder, CEO, or COO.

Then choose the single “seat” that is responsible for each core function. List the major roles the function leader is responsible, aiming for 3 to 5 bullets per seat. 

Don’t fill in anyone’s names at this point — just the name of the function.

You’ll end up with something like this, with just the “Functions” filled in:

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Step 2: Fill in the chart’s “Roles”.

Each core leader should define the functions for their area. Focus on the three to five main roles for each function. 

When you’re building out the roles and seats, it’s easy to just build a chart that reflects your company as it exists today. Don’t.

Instead, create the most efficient structure you can. Don’t worry about creating more roles than the people you have available — a person can sit in more than one “seat”. And don’t worry about creating fewer seats than you have people. That’s an issue to resolve later.

Step 3: Define every function and responsibility within the company.

Continue the same process the rest of the way down your company structure.

Remember that each “seat” or “function” is not a job title, but an action, e.g. “supervise customer service” or “manage client operations”.

Then fill out the roles, using plain, concrete language that everyone can understand, e.g. “oversee payment of all outstanding bills”, “compile financial reports”, or “compare invoices with purchase orders”.

Step 4: Assign your team to each function.

For small businesses, you’ll typically need to assign people to more than one function. That’s fine. You just can’t do the opposite, and assign multiple people to a single function.

You may not have all the right people for the roles defined. This is OK; it shows you where the gaps are.

And you might find some people are a better fit for a different role than where they are today.

Step 5: Define expectations and targets for each role.

Each role gets a target number that ties into the weekly/monthly/quarterly company goals. This helps everyone to understand how their contribution impacts the success of the company.

For each goal or target, assign a timeline.

Step 6: Roll out the accountability chart to employees.

To get your employees’ buy-in, communicate clearly and be consistent.

Explain why everyone’s functions and responsibilities need to be defined. Make it clear that the new accountability chart is a clarification and not a reorganization.

Remember to emphasize that the chart centers around “functions, roles, and responsibilities” and not “egos” or “titles.”

Step 7: Review and adapt.

Review the accountability chart regularly, and discuss it during each quarterly employee review. 

Questions to consider:

• Is the same functional area repeatedly experiencing the same issues? If so, investigate and take corrective action. You may need to revisit the accountability chart.

• Are employees more engaged and proactive? 

• Has the new chart helped to reduce turnover? If not, what functional area(s) see the most turnover?

• Are you seeing greater effectiveness, and efficiency overall? Are more tasks getting done in less time?

• Is there any improvement to the bottom line, including lower costs in some areas?

Now your business is set on the right path to run smoother, be more productive and grow faster!