// you’re reading...

Small Business

The Responsibility Conundrum – Where art Thou?

Mr/Ms, ‘not me’ is often on holidays in your business. Yes come rain or shine they attend the workplace and put in the day for you; coffee to drink, gossip to catch up on, spying on management and colleagues, frequent toilet breaks, long lunches, long and let not forget the email needs to be checked and replied. Off course the home more customers so a few here and there are quite appropriate so they think!
Meanwhile back at Mr/Ms Managers Office you are straining over the latest figures and wonder why productivity is waning, profits are down and as you look out your office window you can see your workers seem happy. And can you believe it Absenteeism is down and why not your business has become a de-facto social club.
Responsibility
We appear to live in an age of irresponsibility! Taking responsibility is becoming more of a rarity in as a generation of rights driven individuals care more about their ego’s than their character. Rights are important but rights come through taking responsibility I have found.
The concept of an honest days work for an honest days pay; well it just isn’t happening in some places anymore.
As so as Mr/Ms you trudge through your business day to day wondering what went wrong.
Take responsibility!
So what is Responsibility! In business responsibility could be defined as taking personal initiative to do what you are committed to, to keep your word, be honest, and act in the best interests of the business.
Why the Change
In a post modern era we have tried to remove the shackles of our youth for many reasons, and rightly so. This may have been because of past injustices, lack of opportunity, ignoring our ‘roots’ and ‘values’ or maybe it could because we became lazy and could not be bothered anymore. A more worrying trend is that perhaps we have mistakenly removed responsibility and ethics when removing the other impediments.
Teachers have told me that they are frightened of some of their students and certainly the law does not allow reasonable discipline. Respect for the law is at an all time low. I recently heard that motorbike gangs have more members in New Zealand than the police force.
What goes around comes around or what you reap is what you so is the old comments.
But I hear you say we are living in a world of enlightenment!
Consider this; higher numbers of rape, homicide, violence and crime in society and the workplace. Enlightenment appears to be a way off yet I suspect!
Reclaiming you organisation
You must take steps to reclaim your business if it has become a kindergarten or a social club!
You must take radical steps and involve yourself with your workers by getting out of your office and observing what goes on and making immediate changes.
The Pain
The old clich

Related posts