This document discusses high performance teams and how to define roles and responsibilities using RACI charts. It explains that high performance teams require well-defined roles, trust, coordination, communication, efficiency and safety. It then introduces RACI charts as a tool to balance roles and activities. RACI charts assign individuals with responsibilities (R), accountability (A), consultation needed (C), or need only to be informed (I) for each activity. Examples of RACI charts are provided for expense reporting and Lord of the Rings characters. The document concludes with guidance on analyzing RACI charts to ensure roles and activities are properly defined.

1. High
Performance
Teams
Well-Defined Roles
created with RACI
Charting
May 2019
Arkestrate , LLC

2. Interdependencies of Teams

3. Working Together
High Performance Teams require the ability to:
•Trust
•Coordinate
•Communicate
•Be Efficient
•Be Safe

4. High Performance teams require
Well-Defined ROLES

5. ROLES perform the
ACTIVITIES of the team

6. Roles and Activities
•For a given Team Role, one or more Activities
may be assigned.
•For a given Team Activity, one or more Roles
may do the work.
HIGH PERFORMANCE requires BALANCE
across ROLES and ACTIVITIES.
HOW?

7. Responsibility Charting:
RACI Charts

8. What is a
RACI Chart?

9. AR — — —
AR — — C
A R — —
C — AR —
Roles
Activities

10. RACI Defined

11. R “The Doer”
A “The buck stops here”
C “In the loop
I “Keep in the picture”

12. Responsibility
“R”
The individual(s) who actually completes the task within the activity,
the doer. This person is responsible for action/implementation.
Responsibility can be shared. The degree of responsibility is
determined by the individual with the “A”.
Accountability
“A"
The individual who is ultimately responsible. Includes yes or no
authority and veto power. Only one “A” can be assigned to a
activity.
Consult
“C”
The individual(s) to be consulted before initiation of activity or action.
This incorporations two-way communication.
Inform
“I”
The individual(s) who is “informed” after activity is completed, action
is taken. This incorporates one-way communication.

13. RACI Charts:
Examples

14. Employee Secretary Supervisor
Region
Accounting
1. Document
expenses AR — — —
2. Complete
expense form AR — — C
3. Forward to
supervisor A R I —
4. Review
C — AR —
5. Approve
I — AR —
6. Forward to
Region — R A —
Travel Expensing - Roles
Activities

15. Gandalf Aragorn Frodo Sam Elves
Pippen &
Mary
Create
Fellowship R R I C AR C
Escort Frodo
to Mt Doom AR R R R CI R
Throw the
Ring into Mt
Doom
CA I R R I I
Fight in the
Battle of
Mordor C AR — — I I
Lord of the Rings - Roles
Activities

16. Ensure RACI is set up
properly

17. ACTIVITIES Analysis (rows)
IF THEN
Lots of R’s….. Work gets fractured, too many
people involved
No R’s or A’s….. Who does Activity (work)?
More than one A….. Cannot have more than one A
Lots of C’s and I’s….. Why needed? Not just
convenience.

18. ROLES Analysis (columns)
IF THEN
Lots of R’s….. Too much work for Role
No empty space….. Too much work for Role
No R’s or A’s….. Can activity (work) be
eliminated?
Too many A’s….. Is Accountability at the right
level?

19. Thank
you!
www.arkestrate.com