We have a scorecard metric for weekly inventory accuracy, but the warehouse manager complains they cannot own this number because they do not physically count the inventory themselves. How do we clarify ownership of a metric when the seat holder does not generate the data?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Ownership of a scorecard metric does not mean you are the person physically typing in the numbers or performing every task. It means you are the person who is ultimately accountable for the outcome. On the Accountability Chart, the warehouse manager owns the warehouse function, which includes inventory accuracy. If the inventory is inaccurate, they must solve the process, training, or staffing issues causing the errors. They do not need to do the physical counts themselves, but they must ensure their team does them accurately and on time. Clarify to your leaders that owning a number means you are the one who explains why it is red and leads the effort to fix it. If a leader refuses to own a metric because they do not personally generate the data, they are misunderstanding their seat on the Accountability Chart. True leaders own the results of their department, not just their individual personal activities. By taking complete ownership of the metric, they demonstrate they GWC™ the seat and are ready to lead their team to success.