We have assigned every metric on our weekly Scorecard to a specific seat on our Accountability Chart, but some team members still act like they are just reporters of the data rather than owners of the actual result. How do we get them to take absolute ownership of their numbers?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Having a name next to a metric is only the first step. True ownership requires that the person in that seat fully GWC™, which means they Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to deliver the result. If a team member treats their weekly Scorecard metric like a chore or blames outside factors when it goes red, you have an ownership alignment issue.

To fix this, you must clarify that owning a metric does not mean simply typing a number into a spreadsheet every week. Owning a metric means being fully accountable for the activity that drives the number and being responsible for solving the problem when the number is off track.

During your quarterly reviews, use the GWC™ framework to evaluate their connection to the metric. Ask them directly if they understand how the metric is calculated, if they want the responsibility of hitting that target, and if they have the time and resources to manage the activity. If they do not pass this test, they should not own the metric. When the right person is in the right seat on the Accountability Chart, they will stop making excuses for red boxes and instead proactively bring the issues to the Level 10 Meeting™ to get them solved.