Frequently, when discussing real world work issues which present a high level of difficulty and/or team involvement and logistics, we find ourselves talking about what is commonly termed responsibility, the actual “doing of the work.” A lot of time can be spent spinning our wheels addressing responsibility. Rather, to adequately address these issues and move a project forward, we need to focus our attention on the heart of the matter, accountability.
Accountability, or “making sure the work gets done” (or being able to explain why it didn’t get done) provides a team with the missing link that can steer a project’s success. Scrum paints a clear picture of the accountability of each team member in each role. Once this accountability is established for a team, it often manifests as an unwritten team agreement, giving team members permission to challenge each other if they think a colleague is not working to the best of their ability. Think of accountability as the glue that holds a successful, self-organizing team together.
This infographic was originally featured on the Scrum Alliance blog. If you would like to use this infographic please attribute the author with a link back to this page.
For more about accountability in Scrum email us at info@3back.com.