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. 

Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems. 

Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.

Life & Work

Over the last few weeks I have been juggling quite a few things, including, most recently, an unexpected move. In considering the amount of time, energy, and money that has been required, I’m reminded of the significance of life-work balance.

Having life-work balance has always been an area of interest for professionals in human resources, organizational behavior, and industrial organizational psychology, for instance. I imagine professionals in these and related fields are especially fascinated with the impact working from home has on life-work balance, particularly in an ever-changing world where working from home has increased.

A common response I have heard from people working from home is they feel they are working harder and longer at home. Not only does this make balancing life and work a challenge but there is also a disproportionate amount of work being completed compared to the time utilized to take care of one’s personal needs/interests . With societal and work changes, more and more people are faced with the reality of the need to balance life and work.

It can become difficult at times to find the time to take good care of yourself however this is extremely important for doing your best work in support of others. I am encouraged to do this. I am also encouraged to do the work that fulfills my life’s purpose and is a reflection of my passions and interests, so that I am living my best life.

In what ways are you balancing your life and work? What work are you doing that fulfills your life’s purpose?

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. 

Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems. 

Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.

Fulfilling Your Purpose in Leadership

What drives you in your role as a leader? What draws you to the area of service you are in? People in helping professions, including mental health, are drawn largely to helping other people. They want to help people learn new information, heal and grow, and/or move forward in aspects of their life, to name a few possible motivations. For some, this is due to their personal experiences, either in relating to the challenges of the individuals being served or the challenges of loved ones. For some, they are drawn by their interests as related to fulfilling a need, use of skills, gifts, and abilities, and/or values. Or people are drawn by a combination of experiences and interests. As a leader, you have a unique opportunity to steward not only what motivates you in the work that you are doing but that which motivates members of your team.

Take a minute to think about what drives you in the work you are doing. As well, what draws people to you as a leader and the services or supports you are helping to offer? Are these purposes consistent? For instance, is the need you are hoping to meet consistent with the needs people have? Identifying this match is the first step towards fulfilling your purpose in a way that creates meaningful change. In addition to addressing their needs, are there other reasons that people look to you? What do people say about their experiences? What messages do you convey in words and actions? While what motivates leaders in their role/area of service may differ, the goal is the same - to make a positive impact on the lives of others and to add value. How are you fulfilling your purpose as a leader? 

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. 

Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems. 

Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.