What Does It Mean to Take Responsibility for Your Actions At Work?

Today’s workplace is arguably more interconnected than ever. What you do may not only affect your own productivity, performance, and success, but your coworkers, teammates, bosses, customers, and so forth. For this reason, it is imperative that you take responsibility for your actions and maintain a high level of personal accountability even in the face of failure. 

Is it easy to do? Of course not. 

Is it worth it? Absolutely. 

In the following article, you will find what it means to take responsibility for your actions, examples of taking responsibility at work, and the key factors that impact one’s likelihood of doing so. 

What Does It Mean To Take Responsibility for Your Actions?

Taking responsibility for your actions requires the realization that you play a part in every situation or experience and, therefore, have some degree of responsibility over the outcomes or consequences. You may have heard it referred to as taking accountability. It means that your first reaction when a mistake is made or a conflict arises isn’t to blame others, make excuses, twist the facts, or flat-out lie. Instead, you swiftly acknowledge there is a problem, identify your role in it, and implement an action plan to minimize (or entirely eliminate) the chances of it happening again.

Examples of Taking Responsibility for Your Actions

As one Forbes author pointed out, someone who takes responsibility for their actions is an accountable individual. Here is what that may look like in action on the job:

• You recognize and own up to your part of what is occurring
• If your message is hurtful to someone, you are willing to examine how your communication may have been damaging
• You don't blame others when you're at fault
• You don't make excuses for why things are happening
• You don't pawn off all the responsibility (or all the failure) onto your team or subordinate
• If you continually miss deadlines or essential project parameters, you don't pretend that it is all out of your control
• If your employee or team is failing, you don't stick your head in the sand and stay in denial - you proactively do something about it
• If your relationships are faltering, you’re open to seeing how you’re contributing to (and even exacerbating) the challenges and conflict

What Makes Someone Take Responsibility for Their Actions?

As Martin Luther King Jr. stated in a 1953 radio address, “One of the most common tendencies of human nature is that of placing responsibility on some external agency for mistakes we have made. We are forever attempting to find some scapegoat on which we cast responsibility for our actions.”

So, what exactly would make someone take responsibility for their actions at work? In an article for Berkley’s Greater Good Magazine that cross-referenced a number of studies, it was found that “when you believe that your behavior can change, you are more likely to be willing to admit responsibility. A big reason why you are able to admit fault is that you recognize that once you admit what you have done wrong, you can work to make it better, and so you are not threatened by admitting mistakes. People who do not believe that they can change are stressed by admitting their mistakes because they believe that those mistakes say something fundamental about who they are as a person.”

This highlights the importance of non-judgemental team culture and a relationship of trust with one’s direct leader when it comes to taking responsibility for your actions. If those things do not exist, it is not surprising that you are stressed, anxious, or fearful of taking responsibility for your actions as you assume ridicule, hostility, or even disciplinary action will follow. On the other hand, when your team’s culture is non-judgemental and everyone, including your leader, has your best interests at heart, taking responsibility for your actions actually becomes a valuable learning experience that you can move on from.

Why is Accountability at Work Important?

Accountability in a work setting can often be misunderstood or associated with negatives. Employees may assume someone's trying to assign blame or point fingers, which can lead to high stress levels at work. But when accountability is woven into your employer's culture, energy shifts.

Leaders and employees take personal ownership of responsibilities and take initiative when needed. With accountability, employees are self-empowered to do their best work, helping the organization to grow faster and better. Accountability can also lead to:

• Higher productivity, performance, and effectiveness: Employees who stand behind their work often work harder and with more care and purpose. With more inspiration guiding their work, they're often more effective and more productive.
• More dedication to the mission: Employees who are held accountable are more dedicated to community and organizational goals. Because others are counting on them, they're naturally more committed to their responsibilities and work.
• Healthier, more effective teams: When accountability is part of a workplace's culture, with each individual owning up to their mistakes or weaknesses, team performance naturally improves. Team members will feel safer and are more likely to work through obstacles or time constraints.
• Stronger trust: Accountability builds trust and loyalty both within a team and among managers and team members. Managers who model and prioritize accountability foster deeper trust with their team and are more likely to develop psychologically safe teams.
• Less Blame and More Problem-Solving: Accountability at work helps to shift the focus away from blaming others for problems. Instead, individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, learn from mistakes, and find solutions. This leads to a more constructive and solution-oriented work environment.

7 Tips on How to Take Responsibility for Your Actions at Work

Taking responsibility for actions at work demonstrates accountability and can play a critical role in career progression. There are many ways in which you can take responsibility and demonstrate accountability:

1. Act Proactively

Proactive behavior is a big part of accountability at work. When you act proactively, you evaluate the tasks under your responsibility, anticipate problems that may arise, and address them accordingly. Therefore, you can prevent project delays and failures that may negatively affect team efficiency.

Furthermore, proactively addressing issues helps avoid blame games which can create friction among teammates. For example, if you are assigned a task, take the time to get a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished. You will be able to identify and fix issues faster if you take the time to understand all of the components of a task before starting. When you identify potential problems and communicate with managers about them, you can make adjustments so that projects stay on track.

2. Own Your Work and Decisions

Ownership over tasks means that you are reliable, self-disciplined, and deliver your best work. Taking ownership over work also means that you track and manage your progress, foresee problems, and make decisions as needed to meet deadlines.

You should also take ownership of your decisions. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your decisions will not have the desired outcome. Accepting mistakes and not blaming others demonstrates accountability and encourages open communication.

3. Communicate and Collaborate Proactively

Being actively engaged with the work and people around you promotes accountability at work. To do this, make sure to regularly update your managers and teammates on important information, developments, and delays. You should also openly collaborate with teammates, ask for guidance when needed, and integrate feedback into your work.

Proactive communication and collaboration also demonstrate that you are flexible, avoid blame-shifting, and take responsibility for your actions. Moreover, they minimize misunderstandings and ensure that you are meeting team expectations, which leads to better decisions and solutions.

4. Set Personal Goals and Follow Through

Taking the step to set personal goals and work toward achieving them demonstrates accountability and a strong sense of responsibility at work. This is because it shows that you are actively committed to learning and self-improvement, which contributes to overall team success. It is equally important to follow through on goals. If you are unable to meet your goals, be honest about any challenges or limitations you faced while trying to meet them. Acknowledging difficulties shows that you are honest and willing to take responsibility.

5. Admit Your Mistakes and Take Responsibility

Accountability at work requires you to admit when you have made a mistake, even if there is a risk of negative side effects. For example, if you are managing a project and fail to submit a report on time, which causes the project to fall behind, tell your manager what happened and own your mistake.

Additionally, you need to take corrective action and demonstrate that you can plan for future situations. Corrective action involves identifying what went wrong, evaluating the outcome, and taking steps to improve so that the same mistake is not made again. Corrective action also prevents project delays and failures from worsening.

6. Help Others Improve Their Accountability Skills

Accountability in the workplace depends on the actions of both individuals and teams. Therefore, you need to help your teammates improve their accountability by listening to their thoughts, answering questions as needed, and providing regular feedback.

Also, you should promote a supportive work environment where team members feel comfortable admitting their mistakes and taking responsibility for their actions. This will positively reinforce accountability at a team level.

7. Reflect and Work on Improving in the Future

After completing any task, spend time reflecting on how it went and what you can do to improve in the future. It is especially important to reflect if you are responsible for any delays or problems that arose while completing the task. Reflect on what challenges you encountered, both personally and professionally so that you can develop strategies and solutions going forward. You will be more likely to make improvements if you can identify areas where you went wrong.

Conclusion

It is never easy to take responsibility for your actions, especially when those actions have consequences. But rest assured; it is worth it! As the bestselling author John C. Maxwell once said, “People who blame others for their failures never overcome them. They simply move from problem to problem. To reach your potential, you must continually improve yourself, and you can't do that if you don't take responsibility for your actions and learn from your mistakes.”