You just never know what is going to happen in your business
life. Recently I had to work like crazy to get a bunch of deadlines completed
to free my schedule so I could take an unexpected trip, half way across this
wonderful country of ours, Canada.
As events unfolded, an unexpected team came together with
each member naturally assuming a specific role. From leader and manager to
subject experts, advisors, information generators, documentation creators, and
experienced friends and family members, there was a natural stakeholder
relationship created that fit a RACI – responsible, accountable, consult and
inform. This was a good thing.
A RACI is a powerful tool for stakeholder analysis used to
identify and understand key roles of individual team members in an
organization. The simplest definition of a RACI goes like this:
Those who are Responsible:
These are the doers – the people responsible for the nuts
and bolts. If you and your team are
reporting to a sponsor who is the final person accountable for the work, then
you belong in this category.
Those who are Accountable:
The buck stops here. This is the person(s) who has the most
at stake in events and happenings. They’re the ones who have the final decision
or must present key recommendations to others in a final presentation. At the
end of the day they sign the cheque. In most organizations this would be the
sponsor, but it really can be anyone who has the final call.
Those we need to Consult:
The experts.
Every task needs people with the right information at the
right time onboard, subject experts and advisors who can help the team leader gain
a clear perspective. You might have that
person(s) in house (internal stakeholders) or need to outsource to find them
(external stakeholders), but either way, they’re vital for getting the job done
efficiently and effectively.
Those we need to Inform:
These are all the stakeholders that need to be kept in the
loop. They need to know what is going on from a logical and rational
perspective with key information.
Though my recent RACI was unexpected, it’s really helpful to
make RACI a formal part of your business’ planning process, particularly if you
are going to be involved in any strategic, tactical or operational
planning.
This will help clarify the different
roles and responsibilities needed to complete projects, ensuring your people
are able to work with focused intent and to the best of
their ability.
Question: For which business initiative can you use a RACI to help putting your team together?