Our leadership team has agreed on the seats on our Accountability Chart, but we are stuck in endless debates trying to list every single task each person performs. How detailed should these five bullet points actually be?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You are overcomplicating the process and turning your Accountability Chart into a collection of job descriptions. This is a common trap that leads to analysis paralysis. The five bullet points under each seat are not meant to list every task, chore, or daily duty.

Instead, they must define the five major, high-level results that the seat is accountable for delivering. Think of these as the primary outcomes, not the activities. For example, if you have a Head of Sales seat, the roles should not be write proposals, answer emails, and attend networking events.

The roles should be sales strategy, closing deals, managing the sales team, and sales forecasting. These are broad, high-level accountabilities. The granular tasks belong in your standard operating procedures or work instructions, not on the Accountability Chart.

Keep the roles simple, clear, and high level. When someone looks at a seat, they should instantly understand the core purpose of that role. If you have more than five or six bullets, you either have a seat that is too broad and needs to be split, or you are getting caught in the weeds.

Simplify your chart. Trust your team to execute the daily tasks, and use the five roles to maintain clear, uncompromised accountability.