Responsible = ability to respond 

Responsibility is one of the most underutilized character traits in the United States today. 

We instead keep ourselves distracted with our phones than confront issues in our professional or personal lives. And, we settle for coping mechanisms that “get us by.” 

The word responsibility is often used in a negative context. Yet when you look it up, you’ll discover two entirely different synonyms. 

Blame, Guilt, Liability or Power Influence, and Control 

Most organizations want a culture of ownership but suffer from the abdication of accountability. 

Abdication of Accountability 

  • Performing employees get more work and less time to complete it.  
  • Conversely, underperforming employees get less work and more time. 

An overwhelmed manager doesn’t have the emotional bandwidth to have coaching conversations, so her good employees pay the price because the work has to get done. 

 

by Eric Papp

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