I Started Taking Responsibility and My Whole Life Changed
The Power of Taking Responsibility
During the Spring of 2015, I took a trip to Stockholm to complete Scrum Master Training. I’d never been to Sweden before and I have fond memories of exploring the city between training sessions. The sun was bright, glistening off the Söderström as I ventured around this unknown place. The food was great, the people welcoming, but I was there to become a certified Scrum Master.
The training was fantastic, an energetic trainer who exuded passion for their work. There were tonnes of useful information and insights I got from that two-day course, but one thing stood out over all others…
Avery’s Responsibility Process
During the course, the teacher told us a story about how when problems occur, we can only enact meaningful action when we get to a state of taking responsibility. In order to get to this state of responsibility, however, we go through a number of other stages first. These stages can take a matter of seconds, or many years to go through, but only when we get to responsibility can we make meaningful change. This process was called Avery’s Responsibility Process.
Christopher Avery is an American psychologist who developed this framework. It’s a model that helps individuals and organizations understand the psychological dynamics of responsibility and accountability.
Since I learned about this process, I see it play out in myself and others almost every single day. Knowing about this framework helps me to improve my self-awareness, and to help others.
Imagine a divorcee, stuck in the Lay Blame phase, blaming their ex-partner for the breakdown of their marriage, never getting to responsibility. Perhaps if they had been more attentive, more attuned to the needs of their partner, they could have resolved their issues. Perhaps if they had taken responsibility, the marriage would not have broken down.
In my work life, I use it all the time to understand how I can be a better Manager. One recent example was when I had a challenge with a colleague’s performance. This person was not performing as effectively as I knew they could do. They seemed disengaged, not pushing themselves to achieve their goals as much as I know they’re capable of. I approached this problem in my mine by going through the stages of The Responsibility Process;
Denial
“It’s fine, I don’t think there really is a problem, I’ll not bring it up with them.”
Lay Blame
“It’s their fault, I’m not the problem, I’m just their manager.”
Justify
“Their poor performance is understandable given they’re not that interested in the work the team does.”
Shame
“I feel bad, I should do better to help them, I’ve not been a good manager.”
Obligation
“I guess I’ll work to improve their performance because I have to.”
Finally, Responsibility
“This is my issue to resolve. I’ll work with my colleague, to find a path to improved performance through training, development, coaching, and mentoring. I take responsibility to improve the situation”
When I get to that state of responsibility and take ownership of the challenges in my life, then I achieve better outcomes every single time. In this case, I worked with the colleague in question, developed a plan, continue to work together, and we’re seeing meaningful progress as a result.
Game-Changing
Avery’s approach to leadership is grounded in the belief that true leadership comes from taking personal responsibility and inspiring others to do the same. He emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, self-reflection, and the ability to take ownership of one’s actions and decisions.
The personal growth I’ve been able to achieve from learning about this framework has been dramatic. I now constantly find myself thinking ‘how can I take responsibility in this situation’. It’s enabled me to be more effective in all my endeavors, both in my professional and personal life.
Avery’s work has had a significant impact on the field of leadership development, and his ideas and principles continue to be widely used and studied today. If you embrace the responsibility process, always striving to get take responsibility, you’ll see significant personal growth just as I have.
If you want to read more on the process, check out https://responsibility.com/
