Responsibility vs Accountability: Is there a difference?

I was discussing the question of responsibility vs accountability with one of my clients recently and they were having difficulty distinguishing the two. This was one of the contributory factors why many of the strategies and projects they initiated failed to achieve the outcomes expected.

So, what is the difference between being responsible for something in your business and being accountable?

In simple terms, responsibility may be bestowed, but accountability must always be taken. Or to put it another way, responsibility can be given or received, even assumed, but that doesn’t automatically mean that personal accountability will be taken. This means that it’s possible for someone to have responsibility for something but lack the accountability.

This is critically important, not just in project management, but in everything you do in your business. The problem is that this generally only comes to light when something goes wrong!

Take the following short story as a light-hearted way of describing the issue:

“This is a story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody‘s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.”

We have probably all witnessed events like this, but how can we prevent this happening?

The Psychological Dimension of Accountability

Accountability has a strong psychological component that’s worth understanding. It involves an internal commitment to see something through regardless of obstacles. Whilst responsibility can be assigned through job descriptions or delegation, true accountability emerges when someone feels personally invested in an outcome.

Organisations that foster psychological ownership—where team members feel the work is genuinely ‘theirs’—typically see higher levels of voluntary accountability.

This sense of ownership is what transforms “I have to do this” into “I want to make this succeed”. The difference in outcomes can be remarkable.

Clear Communication is Essential

Clear assertive communication is obviously important, particularly when delegating tasks to others, i.e. giving someone else responsibility for a task that you are accountable for delivering.

Always make sure the other person is fully aware that they are responsible and, where possible, use SMART as a guideline for setting objectives.

SMART Objectives

• S = Specific. Because woolly objectives only lead to confusion
• M = Measurable. It must be possible to measure when the task is complete, or to track progress towards the goal
• A = Achievable. Do not set goals or objectives that are unachievable within the given parameters
• R = Realistic. Make sure the bar is at the right height. Too low can be as demotivating as one too high
• T = Timely. Frame the task with a time frame to ensure a sense of urgency

The RACI Matrix: A Framework for Clarity

Another way of ensuring that accountability and responsibility are set is to use the RACI Matrix. The RACI matrix is a very useful tool in project management used for tracking roles and responsibilities. RACI is an acronym for:

• Responsible – Who is responsible for the execution of the task? Who will be doing the work?
• Accountable – Who is accountable for the tasks and signs off the work? Who will take decisions and whose head will roll if it goes wrong?
• Consulted – Who are the people who need to be consulted during the task? This implies two-way communication
• Informed – Who are the people who need to be updated of the progress? Whose work depends on this task?

To use the RACI Matrix, construct a grid with all the stakeholders along the top and the tasks or actions down the side. For each grid, identify who is Accountable and Responsible and who needs to be Consulted or Informed.

You may also want to draw the grid with the RACI roles along the top. This ensures that you have all roles covered.

Top Tips for using RACI

• Make sure that every task has the roles of Responsible and Accountable identified
• For a simple task, the same person can be Accountable and Responsible
• Accountability can only rest with one person. If more than one person is assigned as accountable, it leads to confusion (see the short story above!)
• Similarly, for the Responsible role, avoid more than 2 people because this can lead to duplication of work
• Avoid using groups of people instead of individual roles or named people. A body, such as a management team, cannot be accountable when it comes to actionable tasks or activities
• Communicate to all stakeholders to ensure everyone understands their role

The Evolution of Accountability in Modern Business

Accountability in Remote and Hybrid Work

Since the pandemic, remote and hybrid work arrangements have become mainstream, presenting new challenges for accountability. The casual conversations in corridors and impromptu desk check-ins that once reinforced accountability are no longer available in the same way.

In remote or hybrid teams, accountability requires intentional design. Without physical presence, it’s easier for accountability gaps to form. Successful organisations establish clear virtual check-in protocols, emphasise outcomes over activities, and create visibility around progress. Digital tools like project management software have become essential for maintaining accountability across distributed teams.

Many British businesses have found that accountability in remote settings requires more frequent but shorter touchpoints, coupled with asynchronous documentation that makes progress and blockers visible to all.

Psychological Safety and Accountability

A counterintuitive finding in recent studies is that accountability thrives in environments with high psychological safety. When team members fear punishment for mistakes, they’re less likely to openly claim accountability. Conversely, in environments where admitting challenges is encouraged, people more readily take accountability for both successes and failures.

This requires leaders to model accountability themselves and respond constructively when issues arise. Instead of asking “Who’s to blame?” when something goes wrong, the more productive question becomes “What can we learn from this?”

Organisations like the NHS have been increasingly focusing on “Just Culture” principles that separate accountability from blame, recognising that fear-based approaches drive accountability underground rather than strengthening it.

Beyond RACI: Modern Accountability Frameworks

While RACI remains valuable, newer frameworks have emerged that offer additional perspectives on accountability. Building on RACI, some organisations now use extended models like RASCI (adding ‘Support’ as a role) or RACI-VS (adding ‘Verify’ and ‘Signatory’).

Others have adopted the Accountability Ladder framework, which identifies seven levels of accountability ranging from ‘Don’t Know’ at the bottom to ‘Make it Happen’ at the top. These frameworks help teams assess not just who has what role, but the quality of accountability behaviours.

Accountability in Agile Environments

With the rise of agile methodologies, perspectives on accountability have evolved substantially. In agile environments, accountability often shifts from individuals to cross-functional teams. This collective accountability doesn’t eliminate individual responsibility but recognises that outcomes depend on collaborative effort.

The key is that the team as a whole commits to delivering value, with members supporting each other rather than working in silos. Sprint reviews and retrospectives serve as accountability mechanisms that focus on learning rather than blame.

Many technology companies and increasingly traditional sectors like finance and manufacturing have found that this collective accountability approach creates more resilient and adaptive teams.

Putting It All Together

Going back to my client I mentioned at the top of this post, they have used the RACI Matrix to ensure that all of their strategic initiatives and associated business projects are assigned to the right people in the organisation. This has been done as part of the implementation of a PMO and the introduction of project portfolio management.

The distinction between responsibility and accountability remains as relevant today as ever. What has evolved is our understanding of how to foster true accountability in diverse work environments. Whether your team works in an office, remotely, or in a hybrid arrangement, clarity about who is responsible for what is necessary but insufficient.

Building a culture where people willingly take accountability requires psychological safety, appropriate tools, and leaders who model accountable behaviour themselves. When organisations get this right, they not only avoid the ‘Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody’ problem but create an environment where people are empowered to achieve remarkable results.

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Paul Every
Assurify Consulting, Jersey