The Simplest Way to Build Real Accountability (Without Making it Weird)

Not a “report.” Not a “dashboard.” A single weekly Measurable.

The Entrepreneurial Operating System calls this the Scorecard: a short list (typically 5 to 15 numbers) of the most important weekly numbers that predict the future. When you use it purely, the Scorecard becomes more than tracking. It becomes direction.

And the magic is not the spreadsheet. The magic is the ownership:

• One number
• One owner
• One weekly goal
• Reviewed every week
• Discussed & solved when it’s off track

That’s how you create a culture where accountability feels like support, not surveillance.

What “Everyone Has a Number” Really Means

Most leadership teams say they want accountability. What they often mean is, “I want people to care like I care.”

The number helps you operationalize that.

When every seat owns a weekly measurable:

• People get clear on what “winning the week” means.
• Leaders stop managing by emotion and start managing by facts.
• Issues surface earlier, while they’re still small and solvable.

EOS has been saying this for years because it works: if it’s important, measure it; if it’s off track, address it.

The 5 Quick Rules of a Great Weekly Measurable

A strong “number” has five traits:

1. Weekly (not monthly, not quarterly)
2. Owned by one person (one to own the mess, one person to high-five)
3. Activity-based when possible (leading indicator > lagging indicator)
4. Simple to understand (anyone can read it in two seconds)
5. Predictive (tells you you’ll have a problem in the next 1–13 weeks if it stays off track)

You’ll notice I said activity-based when possible. Revenue is fine to track, but it’s usually lagging. A better weekly number might be:

• proposals sent
• demos completed
• first appointments held
• units shipped
• callbacks completed
• errors/rework
• on-time delivery

Those are the dials that move revenue next month.

How to Pick the Right Number for Each Owner

Use this quick filter in a leadership meeting:

Step 1: Name the seat (role) clearly.​
Not the person—the seat.

Step 2: Ask: “If this seat crushes one thing every week, what creates the biggest impact?”
Pick the fewest things possible.

Step 3: Decide the weekly goal.​
Make it real. Make it achievable. Make it meaningful.

Step 4: Make the owner own it.​
Ownership means they update it weekly and come to the meeting ready to say only one of two things:

• On track
• Off track

No stories. No excuses. Just truth.

What to Do When the Number Is Off Track

This is where most teams break purity.

They see a number off track and either:

• ignore it (“we’ll fix it later”)
• explain it (“let me tell you what happened…”)
• debate it (“is that number even fair?”)

Instead, do this:

1. Mark it off track.
2. Drop it to the Issues List.
3. IDS it. (Identify, Discuss, Solve)
4. Walk out with a clear To-Do and an owner.

The Scorecard is not there to judge people. It’s there to reveal Issues early so the team solves them while they’re still manageable.

Common Mistakes I See (And How to Dodge Them)

Mistake 1: Too many numbers

If you track 40 things, you manage nothing. Keep it to 5 to 15.

Mistake 2: No clear owner

A number with two owners has zero owners. Assign one.

Mistake 3: Monthly reporting

Monthly numbers arrive too late. Weekly numbers create traction.

Mistake 4: Using it to “catch” people

If people feel punished by the Scorecard, they’ll hide reality. Use it to solve, not shame.

Mistake 5: Not reviewing it consistently

A Scorecard you “check when you have time” becomes background noise. Put it in your weekly meeting pulse.

Your Next Step This Week

If you want to build traction fast, join Angela Kalemis and me for an upcoming Data Workshop. We’ll walk through building a Scorecard together so you can learn how to identify issues before they become issues.

Register here.