The accountability fog: why no one is really sure who owns what after an operating model change

Every operating model promises clarity

Clear roles. Clear decision rights. Clear ownership.

But the moment the model hits real-world pressures, something else emerges: the accountability fog. The grey zone where everyone thinks someone else owns the thing in question.

Executives feel this long before the organisation names it. Decisions slow. Escalations rise. Teams hesitate. Leaders quietly step into work they shouldn’t be doing.

Not because the model is unclear. But because behaviours never shifted.

What the accountability fog looks like

Different roles, different symptoms, but the same patterns emerge: operating models fail in the spaces where accountability is split, shared, or assumed.

Example 1: The CPO who owns the roadmap… but not the trade offs

A Chief Product Officer is accountable for outcomes. But when two functions disagree on sequencing, the decision lands outside her remit.

She owns the “what”. Someone else owns the “when”. No one owns the “how”.

She’s not confused. She’s operating in split accountability.

Example 2: The CTO who is accountable for delivery… but not for the dependencies

A Chief Technology Officer is measured on delivery speed. But the dependencies that slow him down sit in other functions.

He’s accountable for the outcome. But not the inputs.

He’s not underperforming. He’s carrying misaligned accountability.

Example 3: The COO who is accountable for flow… but can’t enforce decisions

A Chief Operating Officer is responsible for the end to end flow of work through the system. But when two executives disagree, she has no authority to resolve it.

She’s accountable for the system. But not empowered to run it.

She’s not avoiding conflict. She’s trapped in a position of authority without power.

Example 4: The GM in Digital who owns delivery… but not the prioritisation

A General Manager in Digital is accountable for consistency in delivery. But prioritisation sits with product. Capacity sits with engineering. Sequencing sits with operations.

He’s accountable for the output. But not the inputs that shape it.

He’s not being difficult. He’s navigating fragmented ownership.

Example 5: The CEO who assumes accountability is clear… because no one says otherwise

A Chief Executive Officer sees a clean operating model. Clear boxes. Clear lines. Clear roles.

But in practice, every executive is interpreting accountability differently and no one wants to admit it.

He’s not disengaged. He’s seeing the illusion of clarity, not the reality.

Why the accountability fog is so destructive

Accountability is the backbone of execution.

When it’s clear:

• Decisions are fast,

• Ownership is strong,

• Teams move with confidence,

• Escalations drop, and

• Delivery stabilises.

When it’s unclear:

• Decisions stall,

• Leaders overstep,

• Teams hesitate,

• Work gets duplicated, and

• Politics fill the gaps.

Operating models don’t fail because people don’t want to own things. They fail because no one is sure what they truly should own when the pressure hits.

A quick reflection if this resonates

Take 60 seconds and ask yourself:

“Where is accountability assumed, shared, or unclear, and what behaviour is driving it?”

You’ll know instantly.

If you want to go deeper, ask:

“What decision keeps bouncing between leaders because no one wants to own it?”

That’s where the accountability fog is hiding.

What the reflection tells you

If you can see the accountability fog, you’re already ahead of most organisations.

The question isn’t whether the model defines accountability. It’s whether leaders behave in a way that reinforces it.

Leaders who get ahead of this don’t redesign the model. They reset ownership in a way that holds under pressure.

If you’re seeing the accountability fog, now is the moment to act

You don’t need a heavier, more complex, and prescriptive RACI. You need accountability that holds in real-world conditions.

If you’re ready to steady the system, let’s work on this together. Here are three ways:

• Interim Executive - when the transformation needs a senior leader inside the organisation to stabilise, steer, and deliver,

• Capability Building - when product and transformation leaders are expected to know how to navigate the people, politics, and performance expectations that come with their jobs, yet no one has taught them these skills during their entire career, and

• Executive Coaching - when senior leaders need a confidential, strategic partner to think clearly, make decisions, and lead through change and complexity.