Responsibility - In The WorkplaceWhat is it?Responsibility is the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something; a duty or task that you are required or expected to perform; something you should do because it is morally right, legally required, etc; reliability, dependability.In the workplace, responsibility is required in many areas—job duties, corporate guidelines, security, privacy, etc. All of them are slightly different, but they all center around you knowing and following guidelines and being accountable for your actions. Frequently your responsibilities, as they pertain to you fulfilling the duties of your job, are outlined for you in a document saved somewhere on a server that occasionally gets updated. But personal responsibility is not always so neatly outlined.Responsibility can be thought of as the way you respond to a certain situation. In any given situation, how you respond is your choice. The accountability aspect of responsibility means you take ownership of the outcome of those choices - good or bad. If things go well, hooray, if things go bad, boohoo, and if nothing really happens, well, c’est la vie. When you conduct yourself with personal responsibility and accountability, you build integrity, and with integrity comes trust and respect—both internally and externally. Strong character breeds strong results.Why is Responsibility Important in the Workplace?Responsibility drives business results. Responsible workers are more engaged and hold themselves accountable to deliver results. Responsible leaders create environments which cultivate high performance teams which in turn deliver business results. Leaders who cultivate responsibility within their teams will see returns in the form of more engaged team members actively looking for ways to deliver stronger results.Workplace responsibility, as in executing your job duties or following HR guidelines, is important because it leads to a functioning business and a safe and compliant working environment.Personal responsibility in the workplace is important because it is a major component of your personal character that gets tested every day. Every choice you make shows the world an image of the kind of person you are. Over time, those images layer together and the resulting composite is your character as perceived by others. How you shape that character is up to you, and you do it slowly, over time, through your thoughts and actions. When your actions are guided by strong ethics, morals and beliefs you lay the foundation upon which strong personal character is built.Doing your job and how you do your job are two different things, and personal responsibility is the differentiator. As a worker, fulfilling your job duties is one thing, but investing yourself in your work and and holding yourself accountable to deliver your best results transforms the work you do and how your performance is perceived. As a leader, make it your personal responsibility to connect with, motivate, and inspire your team. Hold yourself accountable to go the extra mile and to lead by example. Holding yourself personally responsible to the highest of standards of leadership elevates your personal and professional results. If you do not view yourself as a leader, consider then, who is leading your life. Each of us leads in some way or another. Personal responsibility is the catalyst which transforms an average leader into a strong motivational force.How can I practice Responsibility in the Workplace?You can practice responsibility every day by thinking about your actions and responses and taking accountability for the consequences of your choices - good or bad. Being responsible is not always enjoyable, and it’s not always easy. Workplace responsibility is usually a condition of employment, but personal responsibility is a choice. Make it a habit to make choices that align with your core values.Responsibility is a skill that you learn and hone by practicing. Here are some ways to practice being personally responsible in the workplace:Know your job, do it, and do it well. Sounds simple but this goes a long way in showing a base level of responsibility.Consider your choices when responding: do you have a corporate obligation or responsibility to act a certain way? If the choice you are making draws upon personal ethics, choose in ways that promote the development of your personal character.As a business leader, look for ways to inspire your team to take personal responsibility in their roles.Be willing to make difficult decisions even when the “right” choice is not the “easy” choice.Make a personal list of the reasons why you do what you do, for your eyes only. Draw inspiration from your list throughout the day and use it as motivation to give your best performance both personally and professionally. (And if your reasons no longer inspire you, it may be time to ask yourself some different questions.)Quotes“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes…and the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” (John F. Kennedy)“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.” (Jim Rohn)“Leadership - leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses.” (Mitt Romney)“If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.” (Les Brown)Q1: What is responsibility, according to the author?_________________________1________________________Q2: According to the passage, why is the sense of responsibility important in the workplace?_________________________2________________________