4 Steps to Accountability – Tools for Practical People Management

We all want our people to be more accountable. But accountability is not simply something we can expect or demand. In the context of EOS, accountability is a by-product of great leadership and management. It emerges when clarity, structure and discipline are in place. With that in mind, here are four key tools to embed accountability into your people management system.

1. Core Values: Define the Culture You Expect and Build Intentionally

The first step in building accountability is clarifying the culture you expect. What behaviours, attitudes and ways of working matter in your organisation? Your core values provide that anchor.

According to EOS, core values are the timeless guiding principles that define how you do business and who you are. When you clearly define your core values, you create a foundation for accountability: people know how you expect them to behave, what you stand for, and what will be rewarded or tolerated.

Practical tips:

• Choose 3–7 core values that matter deeply (not just aspirational statements)

• Use real examples of behaviours that reflect those values

• Embed them everywhere: hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, recognition. Build a speech you can repeat often.

• Revisit them regularly in team meetings

By building a culture intentionally via core values, you lay the groundwork for accountability to flourish.

2. Accountability Chart: Clarify Structure, Roles and Ownership

Having your culture defined is critical, but it's not enough. The next critical step is structure. Without clarity about who is accountable for what, ambiguity creeps in and accountability vanishes.

That's where the EOS tool Accountability Chart™ comes in. It's not your traditional organisational chart. It's a blueprint of seats and responsibilities in your organisation. It clarifies how your business is structured to deliver on its vision.

With the Accountability Chart, you:

• Define the major functions of your business (Sales/Marketing, Operations, Finance)

• Create clarity on each seat: who reports to whom, and what 3–5 key roles they own

• Design the structure for where you want to go (next 6–12 months)

Practical tips:

• Run a leadership session to sketch the structure of the future

• List 3–5 key responsibilities for each seat

• Publish the chart so everyone sees their seat and what they own

• Revisit and update each quarter as the business evolves.

3. People Analyser: Keep the Right People in the Right Seat

Having defined the culture and structure, the next step is to ensure the right people are in the right seats. This is the domain of the People Analyser™, another key EOS tool.

The People Analyser helps you evaluate each person on two dimensions:

• Core values alignment (Are they the right person?)

• Seat fit (GWC®: Get it, Want it, Capacity to do it)

Break down GWC:

• Get it - Do they have the DNA to understand the job?

• Want it - Are they motivated and excited about the role?

• Capacity to do it - Do they have the time, skills and bandwidth?

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Practical tips:

• List your core values and score each person: + / +– / –

• Ask the GWC questions and mark yes/no

• Identify who is below the bar and where coaching is needed

• Use this data as a conversation starter, not a blunt instrument

When you know your people fit your culture and seats, accountability naturally becomes easier because expectations are aligned and roles are suited to the individuals performing them.

4. Quarterly Conversation: Regular Check-Ins to Anchor Accountability

The final step is to institutionalise a rhythm of review and conversation. Accountability doesn't happen once and vanish. You maintain it through consistent check-ins and clarity of expectations.

The EOS tool Quarterly Conversation™ provides the framework for those check-ins.

In a Quarterly Conversation, you discuss:

• The person's alignment with core values

• Their roles and responsibilities

• Their Rocks (1–3 major priorities they own for the quarter)

• Their measurables (1-3 numbers they own on the scorecard)

• Opportunities, challenges, and support needed

Practical tips:

• Schedule a 1-on-1 each quarter and prepare ahead

• Try to do it away from the office. This is coaching, not a performance review.

With a quarterly cadence, you keep the accountability engine well-oiled. Culture, structure, people and roles stay aligned.

Why These Four Tools Fit Together

When you put it all together:

1. Culture (Core Values) gives you the behavioural foundation.

2. Structure (Accountability Chart) gives you clarity on roles and ownership.

3. People Fit (People Analyser with GWC) ensures the right people are in the right seats.

4. Rhythm (Quarterly Conversation) keeps it alive through regular feedback.

This is a simple (not easy!) 4-step, practical path to accountability. It's not about pointing fingers or expecting it to happen by chance. It's about building an ecosystem where accountability becomes the natural outcome of clarity, fit and rhythm.

Final Thoughts for Practical People Management

As a certified EOS Implementer, I see firsthand every day the difference that great leadership and management make to people's lives. Accountability doesn't just happen. It's built through clarity and consistency.

When you apply these four tools with discipline, you'll see people step up, clarity increase, and execution improve. Accountability isn't mystical; it's manageable.

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