Responsibility. : 7 Steps to Promotion, Part 3

Responsibility is one of, if not the most important component in deciding promotions. A promotion often means acquiring more responsibility. The more you are responsible for, the more you are counted on. Showing responsibility with the things entrusted upon you shows your team that you are reliable and can be trusted with more.

I think of promotions as an increased amount of indirect responsibility. Think about it this way. - I currently work in a warehouse. My direct responsibility is to pick orders and get them ready to ship. I have no indirect responsibilities, meaning that if someone else doesn't get something done, I have no fault to claim. However, any mistake I make is not only a responsibility I have to claim, but each supervisor above me as well. The responsibility essentially falls up the ladder. When the company president asks why we didn’t meet the quota, responsibility doesn’t fall just on me. While it may be directly my fault the orders weren't picked right, my supervisors take indirect responsibility and answer on my behalf. Luckily for me, they are good leaders who take responsibility and then make a point to coach me on how to make sure I am doing my job correctly.

That’s why it’s important to take responsibility, not wait for it to find you. When you mess up, make it clear to the people around you that you were at fault, and that you will fix it. Even if it’s something as little as putting one box in the wrong place. A small comment like, “Oh shoot, that was me. I’m sorry, let me fix it.”, (and then fixing it) makes it clear to those around that you are taking responsibility for a mistake, and acting on that responsibility by making it right.

Being responsible isn’t just getting done what is asked of you, it’s also admitting when you don’t. Management teams know you are going to make mistakes. They have made a lot of mistakes to get to where they are. They also know that a good leader takes their share of the blame. If you didn’t get something done, just say so. It is never the end of the world. Sure, you messed up. Take some responsibility and move on.

Remember, your qualification to take on that next role is solely dependent upon your organization’s perception of your qualification to do so. Responsibility is most certainly a qualifying factor. If you don’t make a point to show you can be responsible, you’re just prolonging your potential promotion. Just saying you’re responsible won’t cut it; show it by doing what’s asked of you and admitting when you fail to do so. The saying. “Actions speak louder than words”, isn’t just a saying, it’s a fact.

If you can’t take responsibility, you won’t be a leader.