Russell Bishop's post about 'The Blame Game' is right on the money. He uses the term "responsibility" as meaning the ability to respond -- literally response - ability. I share his definition and am always asking people to see that responsibility has nothing to do with causality - who did it or who will do it, but is a relationship to the circumstances, a way of being -- a declaration that we always have a choice. Anything we're not responsible for, we are a victim of.
But there is another term we sometimes confuse with responsibility and it can be an enormous source of mischief in most situations. The term is accountability. Now this word is also often misunderstood as someone's job description or duty. I prefer to think of it as 'count-on-ability', the ability to be counted on for something. We can be responsible for all of it, but we still need to divide the work to be done and count on each other to deliver on what we promise.
The value of this distinction in an organization is obvious. It is the key to effective teamwork and increasingly is the key to dealing with complexity and unpredictability as we realize that we can't count on past recipes and tips to guide us through these uncertain times. I can usually guarantee that any area where we have a recurring problem that seems to defy solution there will be an absence of anyone accountable for that area.
Whether we are working in an organization or not, we can still ask ourselves what can we be counted on for? What do we have to offer? One of the benefits of being a bit older than most of the others in the tribe is that some of us can maintain a perspective on what is happening and sometimes remember that who we are is bigger than our circumstances and generate possibilities when others seem to be focused on getting by day to day. Maybe this is why we have 'elders' --- people in our community who have earned the right to be listened to and whose commitment to the whole can be counted on.
Most of us want to be valued. I have learned that the key to being valued is to add value --- to be of service. We have 70 million 'baby boomers' who have enjoyed the fruits of the last 50 years or so. Now it is time to take Russell's challenge and declare our responsibility for our circumstances and be 'called to account' for our results. Moreover, we have an extraordinary opportunity to lead in our communities and be accountable for the future --- to create a world that works for everyone.
Good to see you here! Thanks for expanding the conversation about responsibility and accountability. I just led a training this past weekend in which we explored this topic. I agree with your take on "account-ability", the ability to account for. And to be "count on-able".
As in, "I'm responsible for the choices I make in response to events and I'm accountable for the results I produce out of my choices (conscious or unconscious choices as the case may be).
This, obviously, is a big subject and one that always seems to have a new audience ready to hear it and "get" it.
I look forward to hearing more from you in the weeks to come. Welcome aboard!
Blessings,
Judith
We need everyone to commit to the whole these days, not just the elders. Unfortunately, most conservatives (and too many liberals) see themselves as atomistic individuals not connected to anything but their bank accounts and bedmates.
Your idea is the right idea, what can we do and not be victims. We all have the ability to help the economy, even if we help out at a nursing home, help our nieghbor who lsot their job with a bag of food. Its time we change. We have to start thinking differnetly, not to just live for ourselves but to honestly be our brothers keeper...we will get through this if we all pull together,
Sorry for the venting...
Great post - thank you. I have another angle on accountability which has to do with human value. That each one of us "counts" that is to say, has value as we are.
Too often, I think that people have been "discounted" or disregarded in favour of other values. There is nothing more valuable than the human being, but that is not yet fully recognized.
Maybe now that is changing.
Blessings to you,
Anne
thanks for adding to the conversation. Indeed, accountability is critical. When we take individual accoutnability, we can improve our own lot in life and perhaps touch others in the process. If we can move to individual and shared accountability, we can contribute to improvements that touch many.
thanks for your wise words and I look forward to more of your perspectives and contributions.
Blessings to you!
privatized Social Security.
Only the first out ,now gone,will benifit.The rest of the "savings" was treated
as chump change to be bonused out .
Commodities,hard and soft must dip below cost to draw out new,and old, manufactures to make the sox.This will headline as super economic disaster but actually will herald a fresh start.
Wall Street starts on Main Street .
The know nothings will never learn the lessons of greed and fear.