21 Ways to Define Responsibility in Business

“There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” — J.K. Rowling

I wonder if this thought-provoking quote from J.K. Rowling, the famous author of the Harry Potter series, could be applied to business leaders. If we turn it around slightly, it might read as follows:

A business leader is truly ready to lead when they stop blaming others and accept that responsibility lies with them.

In my research of the values across Fortune 500 companies, almost a third of these companies claim Responsibility (or a synonym thereof) as one of their core values. This suggests to me that the leaders of these businesses feel ready to lead.

Surprisingly, most companies prefer the term “Accountability” when referencing this value. Maybe it’s because being accountable has less legal implications than being responsible (e.g. “I’ll give an account of what went wrong, but I’m not ultimately responsible for what happened.”).

Other common references to Responsibility are “Commitment” and “Ownership”. These are often used to encourage employees to be more committed and act as if they were owners.

In the end, embracing the value of Responsibility means being accountable, being committed, and accepting ownership for one’s decisions, actions, and behavior.

Responsibility Defined

Here’s a sampling of how 21 different companies define this value:

• Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): Ownership and commitment – We do what we say and we own what we do.
• Actavis: Commit – We are accountable and socially responsible. We never compromise on quality. We deliver what we promise.
• Alcoa: Accountability for our actions and results.
• American Express: Personal Accountability – We are personally accountable for delivering on our commitments.
• Avnet: Accountability – We each take personal responsibility for our commitments, actions and results. We accept ownership, and accept the consequences, of our decisions.
• Big Lots: Make quick, responsible decisions.
• Citigroup: Responsible Finance – Conduct that is transparent, prudent and dependable.
• CMS Energy: Commitment – We keep the promises we make.
• Coca-Cola: Accountability – If it is to be, it’s up to me.
• General Cable: We act responsibly for our individual and collective actions and results.
• Grainger: Empowerment and Accountability – Act with authority and be responsible for one’s actions.
• Kelly Services: We are personally responsible for our actions, outcomes and reputation.
• Kimberly-Clark: Accountable – We take ownership for our business and our future.
• Motorola Solutions: We are accountable – We stand behind the work we do, the contributions we make and the high business standards we maintain.
• Murphy USA: Responsibility – Accountability in our jobs – take pride in our work.
• Republic Services: Responsible – We do the right thing – always and every day.
• Southern Company: Total Commitment – We are committed to the success of our employees, customers, and shareholders, and to citizenship and stewardship in all our actions.
• Stryker: Accountability – We do what we say
• Wynn Resorts: Take responsibility; don’t leave it for others
• Xcel Energy: Be accountable to each other for doing our best.
• Xerox: We behave responsibly as a corporate citizen.

If a business leader questions the need to accept responsibility, then maybe they would find encouragement from this quote:

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” — Winston Churchill

 

How does your company define responsibility?