You get a leadership team on the same page by making ownership visible. In Verne Harnish’s Scaling Up framework, two simple charts do this. FACe, the Function Accountability Chart, shows one person who owns each major function of the business, like sales, operations, or money. PACe, the Process Accountability Chart, shows one person who owns each key process from start to finish, like “take an order and deliver it.” When everyone can see who owns what, arguments shrink and decisions speed up.
You do not need a big company to use these ideas. A family restaurant, a dance studio, a small bank branch, a tour operator, or a nonprofit can sketch both charts on one sheet of paper.
This post draws on ideas from Verne Harnish’s Scaling Up framework. The explanations and examples here are WeKinnect’s own words.
Most leadership teams do not disagree because people are difficult. They disagree because ownership is fuzzy. Two people think they are in charge of hiring. Nobody thinks they are in charge of follow-up after a sale. Work falls into the gaps, and frustration grows.
Clear charts do not fix every problem, but they remove the biggest source of confusion: “I thought you were handling that.”
A function is a big area of work that every business has. Common ones include:
For each function, write one name. Not two. Not “the team.” One person who is accountable for results there. In a small business, one person may own several functions, and that is fine. Writing it down often shows that the owner is carrying too many. That is useful to know.
Next to each name, write the one or two numbers that show whether the function is healthy. For example, the person who owns delivery might watch on-time jobs.
A process is a chain of steps that crosses functions. “A guest books, arrives, eats, pays, and returns” touches marketing, service, kitchen, and money. Because it crosses departments, it often has no clear owner.
Pick your four to six most important processes. For each, name one owner who watches the whole chain from start to finish. That person does not do every step. They make sure the steps connect and the customer has a smooth experience. When a handoff breaks, they lead the fix.
Expect some tension. That is normal. The goal is clarity, not comfort. Agree to revisit the charts every few months, since businesses change.
Service before Self shows up when leaders give up turf for the good of the customer. Sometimes the right choice is to hand a function you love to someone better suited for it. Sometimes it means taking on a messy process no one wants. Leaders who serve first make these charts work, because they care more about the result than about the title.
FACe shows who owns each big function, like sales or money. PACe shows who owns each key process that crosses functions, like order to delivery. Together they cover both areas and workflows.
Yes, especially in a small business. The chart simply makes it visible, which helps you decide what to hand off as you grow.
Review them every quarter or whenever roles change, such as a new hire, a departure, or a family member stepping into leadership.
Written By
Darlene Gagnon is the founder of WeKinnect Global Branding Agency. Guided by the core value of Service before Self, she works with entrepreneurs and family-owned legacy businesses. She focuses especially on restaurants, arts, and travel and tourism. Darlene writes on Branding, Positioning, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Storytelling, and Entrepreneurship. WeKinnect serves entrepreneurs and family-owned legacy businesses across restaurants, arts, travel and tourism, banking, home services, nonprofits, and the pet industry, and Darlene brings that same spirit of service to every piece she writes.
