“I am so frustrated,” Julie stammered. “We have a project with a tight deadline. There is one way to get it done on time and a dozen other ways to get it done late. I don’t know why the team doesn’t see it my way.”

“This is a cross-functional team?” I asked. “You are not the manager of the other people on the team?”

“No, that’s the problem,” she said. “If it was my team, I could just tell them what to do. This team is temporary just for this project. I can’t dictate anything. We have to discuss, agree, then execute.”

“Who is ultimately accountable for the project?” I wanted to know.

“Well, there is a project leader,” Julie responded. “She has the authority to decide how the project will go.”

“And, your accountability?”

“I’m just a member of the team,” she rattled off.

“But, don’t you still have accountability, to show up to the meetings, think about your best strategy, be persuasive in your point of view, debate the alternatives?”

“Yes, that is true,” Julie nodded.

“So, each of you has accountability, you to actively participate with your best thinking, and the project leader accountable for the output of the project. But, the authority to ultimately determine the methods and construction of the project rests with the project leader. Once you get clear on the accountability and the authority in the project, most of your frustration should disappear.”