12 Comments
User's avatar
Iggy's avatar

There's companies where there are frequent mass emails announcing random lower level decisions, then there's companies where things get done.

I try to take responsibility and say it's my delta narcissism getting bothered by all the emails but I think it was mostly people were hoping to claim tacit consent to avoiding responsibility.

CL's avatar

why i don't like working with women.

M. Engel's avatar

This post is INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. The perspective shift of understanding how strong the desire in some men is to avoid accountability is absolutely enlightening.

Jimmy Neutron's avatar

I work a job where this is 85% of the people. Always pushing off responsibility onto others, blaming others, filing reports against others, refusing to do work that would lead back to them so they can shift blame to someone else for what happens. It's the most frustrating thing ever. When I get approached about clarification or taking responsibility for others work I stop and tell them no and that they have to be comfortable taking responsibility because it's part of the job. Some people get so angry about it.

Ian Blakemore's avatar

People wonder why Sigmas avoid being in charge of anyone like the plague. 99% of the employees would get fired lol.

Eric Praline's avatar

Almost every interaction I've had with superiors in my life went:

"Hey Eric, can I get you to do X?"

"Okay."

It's literally that easy.

urielangeli's avatar

Whats the best way to tell the difference - in your own behaviour - between avoiding accountability, and not presuming authority you don't possess?

Jeff Hammond's avatar

Simply take responsibility. If something needs done, you just do it. Executives HATE it when they're asked to make a plan/solve a problem that can be handled by a subordinate, particularly when it's not in thier direct zone of action.

Only bother the executive with decisions that he/she are required to make, with all of the correct data and offer a soloution rather than ask for a decision. The answer is to say, "I'm going to do X, to solve Y, yes or no?"

MAF's avatar

Print it off and hang it in the Louvre:

It’s also funny & predictable that the low status love explaining themselves, except when directly asked to by their superiors.

Elijah's avatar

Happened at my firm recently. Asked a gamma associate to file a very short motion. After two days of questions and delay I just typed and filed it myself. He was shocked and upset.

E.G. Greenwood's avatar

You revealed his incompetence. Now he will have to backbite and undermine you to show how unfair you are.

Elijah's avatar

True but luckily he has to come to me and others to get work and he has no ability to get his own clients or steal mine.