Re: Being Totally Responsible LO3803

GSCHERL (GSCHERL@fed.ism.ca)
Wed, 22 Nov 95 09:25:33 EST

Replying to LO3797 --

Jim,

I read your clarification of responsibility vs accountability and
obligation. I'm not in agreement of your interpretations:

>Accountability and Obligation are two actions that can be set on others.
>Responsibility on the other hand is the ability to respond.

According to Websters, responsiblity is "something for which you are
liable to be called to account as the primary cause or agent".

Under this definition, as a manager of other people, my superiors have
given me responsiblity for the actions of my employees. If one of them
fails, takes improper action, or does something illegal, my superiors will
call me to account. I may also call the employee to account, but I am
responsible for his actions as determined by my superiors.

I've seen many instances where people who, although they should be called
to account as the primary cause, people constantly invent other reasons as
Thomas White pointed out:

>"He was hanging around with the wrong people."
>"She really can't help it"
>"We can expect only so much from people,"
>"We can't expect a person in his condition to act any other way."
>"With a childhood like that, anybody would be messed up."

Accountable is a synonym for responsibility, and is defined as:
"to be the sole or primary factor"

Obligation is "something that binds one legally or morally to a course of
action".

Now in accepting any job or position, we are accepting the obligation to
do the job. However, most people don't accept the responsibility for the
course of action under their control, or the accountability for what they
do. They don't internalize it or "take ownership".

My question is how do we develop, coach and teach this 'ownership of
responsibility, accountability and/or obligation'?

or, in avoiding the 3 key words we've used:

How do we develop, coach and teach people to bind themselves morally to
their chosen course of action and recognize themselves as a primary factor
in the resulting outcome.

--
Gary Scherling
Helping people help themselves
1-800-398-0554 box 4444  or
1-214-606-2000

Gscherl@fed.ism.ca