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Take Responsibility For Your Actions
A true story.
Jill brought a sexual harassment complaint against Joe. Joe was allegedly setting tacks on his female co-workers’ chairs. A second woman brought a complaint against Joe because he was snapping the bra straps of his female co-workers. These were only two of several sexual harassment complaints against Joe. Each allegation was investigated.
The irony? Joe turned around and filed a complaint against the company. He alleged the company was harassing him by conducting the investigations.
What’s going on here? Joe has obviously made several women at work very uncomfortable. And his actions are inappropriate and unprofessional. His response? He became the victim. No sense of responsibility on his part.
Think about the emotional toll this had on the work environment. The time involved in addressing the situation. The loss of productivity.
Joe should have apologized. Stopped the behavior. But no. He refused to take responsibility for his actions. And the anxiety and drama continued until Joe was fired.
Joe’s behavior was a little extreme. But I bet we can all think of times when we’ve made a mistake, missed a deadline, or offended someone at work.
What was your response? Defensive? Blame? “Not my fault?” Or did you swallow your pride, learn from your mistake, take responsibility and move on. Your future success depends on your response.
Refusing to take responsibility for your actions can become a character flaw and a career derailer. It’s a path that leads nowhere.
Accepting responsibility is a character strength and career builder. It’s a path that leads to success.
It’s your choice.
