Exercise · Leadership and Accountability
RACI: The Industry Trade Show
Build a RACI matrix on a training case and check it against the rules.
Time35 minutes
Participants3 teams of 4–5 people
Materials"The Industry Trade Show" assignment, flip chart, sticky notes
From the trainingLeadership and Accountability
Why this exercise
A company is taking part in an industry trade show for the first time in six weeks: 8 tasks and 6 people. Teams assign roles using RACI — who does the work, who is accountable for the result, who is consulted and who is informed — and then check their neighbors' matrix. The arguments about who gets the "A" show where, in real work, a result has no owner.
How to run it
- Hand out the assignment to the teams: a trade show in six weeks, 8 tasks, 6 people.
- 15 minutes: teams fill in the matrix on a flip chart.
- 5 minutes: teams move to their neighbors' sheet and check it against the RACI rules. Violations are marked with sticky notes.
- 10 minutes: each team names one violation in its neighbors' matrix and one decision it argued about for a long time.
Debrief questions
- Where did you want to put two "A"s? What does that say about real life?
- Who ended up overloaded with "R"s? What can be done about it?
- Where were the most arguments, and why?
Tips for the facilitator
- A typical argument is who gets the "A" for "Attract visitors to the stand": the marketer or the head of sales. There is no right answer — what matters is that the team agreed and named one person.
- If a team gives the manager the "A" everywhere, ask: "What happens if they are away for a week?"
- If teams run out of time, let them fill in at least 5 of the 8 tasks: that is enough to check against the rules.
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