Healthy Responsibility and Accountability

Healthy responsibility and accountability are crucial for the success of individuals and organizations. 

Responsibility is defined as the quality or state of being responsible: such as moral, legal, or mental accountability; reliability, trustworthiness or something for which one is responsible (Merriam-Webster). 

Accountability is defined as the quality or state of being accountable, especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions (Merriam-Webster).  

In researching responsibility and accountability, differences between the two came up. Something that stood out which I think is particularly key is the role of ownership.

According to one source, how one responds and takes ownership of the results is considered a component of accountability; comes with facing consequences; and includes giving an account or communicating about the objective (SpriggHr). I wonder, however, if ownership is where you see responsibility and accountability working together. This is not only important in leadership and organizations; it is, as mentioned before, crucial for the success of individuals. This includes individuals receiving services and supports.

One of the challenges that I’ve faced in mental health and human services in general, including the administration of faith-based services, is the absence of responsibility and accountability. This has been observed on every level, from leadership, to staff, to clients. The area that often gets overlooked is clients. With genuine desires to help others, service providers can also take on roles of caretakers who absolve the people they are helping from responsibility and accountability. This, in unhealthy forms, can create co-dependency among other issues. Overall, it can offer a disservice to individuals being served. With ownership comes the opportunity to grow and mature. 

In what ways can you relate to these challenges? What successes have you seen in this area? 

I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share a comment or reach out if you’d like to connect, have questions, or are interested in partnering. 

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