Accountability Diffusion
Accountability Diffusion (n.) When everyone is responsible for a decision, nobody is accountable for the outcome.
Explanation
Shared ownership sounds collaborative. In practice, it means nobody owns the failure. When things go wrong, everyone points to the group decision. Nobody signed their name.
Operational Example
A cross-functional team decides to delay a security patch. The decision is made by committee. When the breach happens, nobody is accountable. The committee cannot be fired.
Why It Matters
Accountability diffusion removes consequences from bad decisions. Without consequences, decision quality degrades.
What Most Teams Get Wrong
They distribute ownership to reduce individual risk. They create committees instead of owners.
What Strong Teams Do Differently
One name per decision. The person who approves owns the outcome. Committees advise. Individuals decide.