This is one of the classics in management and accountability. If you haven’t heard about it yet, you certainly should!
In a world of endless follow-ups and verifications, you will appreciate the simple virtue of Message to Garcia. I heard it is apparently a work of fiction, but nevertheless, it has been told hundreds of times and illustrates the virtue of self-driven effort, in contrast with the inability or unwillingness to concentrate on a goal and execute on it.
The essay is a dramatized odyssey of a man fulfilling his duty, reliably, and with no fanfare. The story of an American soldier, 1st Lt. Andrew S. Rowan who, just prior to the Spanish–American War is asked to carry a message from President William McKinley, to Gen. Calixto García, a leader of the Cuban insurgents.
As he is given the order, he doesn’t even ask “where is he?”, “how do I find this Garcia?”, he just gets on with the task and delivers. He goes through all kinds of trials and tribulations to deliver the message, but he does. Once he’s back and is asked about the message, he starkly affirms “The message has been delivered”, never mentioning any of the troubles he had to face to do so.
“Set it and forget it”. The way it should be if you really have my back.