RACI
Why it matters
The grid removes the silent assumption that someone else has a task covered. Without it, work falls through gaps, or two people do the same job and contradict each other. In a very small business the founder is every letter on everything, which works until the team grows. The first sign of outgrowing it is dropped work or repeated effort. A RACI on the handful of processes that recur makes a missed task trace to a name instead of a group chat.
How to apply it
- List the recurring tasks or decisions that cause friction, not every task in the company.
- Put exactly one Accountable on each row. Two accountable people means nobody is.
- Keep the Consulted column short. Everyone consulted slows the decision, so consult only those whose input changes it.
- Agree the grid with the people on it, then store it where they will see it, such as the same place as the standard operating procedure for that process.
- Review it when a task keeps stalling or when someone joins or leaves.
What it is
RACI is a simple responsibility grid. Tasks or decisions run down one side, people or roles run across the top, and each cell holds one letter or stays empty. Responsible means doing the work, and several people can share it. Accountable means owning the outcome and having the final say, and only one person can hold it. Consulted means giving input before the decision. Informed means being told after it is made.
Common mistakes
- Making everyone Informed on everything, which turns the grid into noise.
- Leaving a row with no Accountable, or with the Accountable person unaware of it.
- Writing it once and never updating it.
