How defining ownership with RACI turned confused roles into faster, clearer decisions.
Overview
Industry: FinTech
Team Size: 15 cross-functional team members
My Role: Director, Creative Operations
Focus Area: Role Clarity, Decision Frameworks, Workflow Optimization
Context: Inside a large enterprise, a small task force was formed to accelerate delivery on a critical initiative. But with team members from multiple departments, each operating with different norms and decision rights, the team was moving fast but tripping over each other. Ownership was blurred, decisions lagged, and frustration was rising.
The Challenge
Everyone was working hard, but no one was clear on who was making the final call, who needed to be informed versus consulted, or how decisions actually flowed. Without clear ownership, work kept overlapping. Approvals dragged. Frustration built.
In a high-stakes, fast-moving initiative, blurred roles were slowing everything down.
The Solution
I led a decision clarity workshop using the RACI framework (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed). We kept it practical and people-first.
Together, we:
Mapped every recurring workflow and decision point across the initiative
Clarified who owned what, who needed to weigh in, and where collaboration was creating bottlenecks
Built a visual decision map so accountability was transparent and easy to reference
Integrated RACI roles directly into our team’s rhythms: meeting agendas, reporting templates, and project plans
Used short retrospectives to refine and adjust as work evolved
The goal wasn’t to create another document that collects dust. It was to facilitate discussion that increased clarity, restored flow and renewed confidence.
Confusion slows things down.
When clarity replaces confusion,
work starts to flow again.
The Results
→ Decision turnaround time improved almost immediately.
→ Team members reported feeling clearer and more empowered to act without over-communicating or second-guessing.
→ Leadership gained visibility into ownership and progress without constant check-ins.
→ The RACI model was later adopted by other teams as a “quick-start clarity exercise” for new initiatives.
Skills Applied
Decision Clarity (RACI Framework)
Workflow Design & Optimization
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Facilitation & Change Management
Team Enablement & Coaching
Process Improvement
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