Responsibility vrs Accountability

The words “responsible” and “accountable” are often used interchangeably. For the most part, they mean the same thing. In each case, someone must ensure a goal or expectation is met.

Responsible individuals are the doers, or those who actually complete  tasks. They are responsible for action/implementation. Responsibility can be shared. The degree of responsibility is usually determined by the individual who is accountable.

 

Accountable individuals are ultimately liable for the results; they hold sign‐ off or veto power on the work to be completed. Only one person should be assigned accountability for a job function, goal or task.

 

In organizations, there are levels of accountability. At each level, someone is responsible (the “doer”) and someone is accountable for that work being done. Each level requires an aspect of personal accountability. As individuals, we are responsible for removing obstacles and achieving our goals.

In the spirit of collaboration and teamwork, we often try to establish “group accountability” or “shared accountability” only to not achieve the intended results. This is not always at the fault of those in the group. Consider the following:

The Story of Four People

 

This is a story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

 

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

 

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybodyʹs job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldnʹt do it.

It ended that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

How often does this happen in our daily lives? We place blame or pass judgment when commitments go unmet or tasks are not completed to our satisfaction. Many times we have unspoken expectations of what others should do or should think or should take responsibility for and we feel disappointed when our unspoken expectations have not been met. Holding others accountable for achieving results can be challenging. So how do you do it? How do you hold yourself accountable for the results of others when you’re not the one doing the work?