Our team argues that the person who pulls and enters the data should own the metric, but they have no control over the result. How do we separate data entry from true metric ownership?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Confusing data collection with metric accountability is a common operational trap that breaks your Scorecard. The person who physically extracts the data and types it into the spreadsheet is simply doing administrative work. They do not own the metric. The true owner of the metric is the person in the seat on your Accountability Chart who is responsible for the activity producing that number. For instance, an administrative assistant might pull the weekly website traffic report from Google Analytics and enter it onto the Scorecard. However, the Marketing Director is the true owner of that metric. If the website traffic number goes red, the Marketing Director is the one who must explain the issue and bring a solution to the Level 10 Meeting™. To fix this confusion, your Scorecard must clearly distinguish between the compiler and the owner. When you look at your Scorecard, the name next to the metric must always be the person accountable for its performance, not the person who typed it in. This reinforces the core EOS® principle that every number must have a single owner who has the authority and capability to drive that metric to green.