Changing Culture and Behavior in Your Team

Implementing Pillar 2 requires a cultural shift. Accountability in EPD isn’t about blame; it’s about empowering ownership. Webb stresses that accountability is fundamentally ownership of progress, problems, and performance, not a hunt for faults. Here are strategies to build this culture:

• Name the Leader Upfront: At project kickoff, explicitly appoint and announce the delivery owner to the team and stakeholders. Regularly refer to that person as the project “owner” to reinforce their role.
• Clear RACI with a Twist: Instead of an anonymous “RACI chart,” identify specific individuals. For example, in every RACI entry, avoid “CIO” or “Finance Dept.” Use names: “Alice – Approver” or “Carlos – Consultation Lead.” This way, responsibility is personal.
• Leadership in Action: Encourage project leaders to act on issues immediately rather than deferring. Webb gives an example: if a marketing approval slips, the EPD leader takes it on “us, let’s fix it”. Demonstrating ownership publicly sets a tone that team members will emulate.
• Outcomes-Based Reporting: Change status reports to focus on ownership. Instead of “Tasks completed: 5 of 10,” report “X% towards Outcome Y; [Leader] is handling blocker Z.” Webb notes that in EPD “Status reports track outcome ownership. If something’s off track, the question is: ‘Who owns the fix?’”.

As leaders take ownership, other benefits emerge. Team members engage more, knowing decisions won’t stall indefinitely. Webb observes that when leadership is clear, “people will only lean in if they know someone is steering.” Conversely, without accountability, “leaders hide behind process” and progress grinds to a halt.

By reinforcing that someone is always steering—even if it means admitting mistakes—the project stays energized and adaptive. Over time, this builds a culture where everyone understands the power of clear ownership.