How should you assign ownership for action items in a postmortem for an outage?

Assigning one owner for each action item in a postmortem is essential for ensuring accountability and facilitating clear communication. When a single individual is responsible for an action item, they can take ownership of its resolution and follow through to completion. This structure helps in tracking progress, as the assigned owner can be held accountable for the outcomes and is incentivized to prioritize the item appropriately.

In addition to having one owner, including any necessary collaborators allows for broader input and expertise in addressing the action item, while still maintaining a clear responsibility chain. This approach balances accountability with teamwork, as it encourages collaboration without diluting ownership.

The other options may lead to confusion or a lack of accountability. Assigning multiple owners can result in a diffusion of responsibility, where no one person feels fully responsible for an item. Not having individual owners can lead to ambiguity, and relying solely on the team lead to own all items may overwhelm them and prevent other team members from engaging meaningfully in the postmortem process.