Everybody complains about the lack of responsibility that “other people” seem to lack but are you one of the culprits? Maybe your lack of responsibility is impeding your career growth or maybe giving you a less than good image at work. You may have good skills and may do a good job. However, how you handle yourself is just as important as the work you produce.

Doing a great job and handling yourself well go hand-in-hand. You really cannot have one without the other. Your supervisor and co-workers need to know you are a team player and are reliable. When you are part of a department, you are not an “entity unto yourself”. You are one part of a lot of moving parts. How you handle yourself directly affects those around you. This means not only getting your work done but also making sure when issues arise, you are able to work in a way that does not negatively affect your group.

Time management is crucial. Everybody is busy and we all have lives outside of work. And yes, unexpected things do happen. However, it is important that you are working on schedule and are able to make sure the work is done in a timely manner. This means, coordinating your vacation schedules and any time off, so everybody can take the necessary breaks needed to recharge. This also means, excessive call-outs from work, tardiness, extended breaks throughout the day, etc. are not only irresponsible but also not very considerate to those on your team. You are at work to work, right? And if something should happen, make sure you alert your supervisor. A “no call/no show” because you are sick is never a good thing.

Cleanliness is also crucial. Do you leave leftover food for days in the refrigerator, do you leave a mess in the microwave/kitchen sink/countertops and neglect to pick up paper towels that have missed the trash can for somebody else to clean? We all have to share workspace and this means cleaning after yourself. Personal maids and butlers do not come with your job, so make sure you are responsible enough to “do your chores”.

Manners, common decency, professionalism are also crucial. We always complain about receiving bad customer service, so why are we behaving just as badly? The workplace is not a place you “hang out”. We are paid to provide a service, we are paid to use our skills and we are paid to grow/advance. Make sure you are a worker people want to work alongside to get things done. It is hard to accomplish a huge task when nobody wants to help you.

We all work and have to share work space. We are part of a work community throughout the week. Make sure you are a positive member that contributes well, not somebody others want ousted. It is not always “somebody else’s issue”.


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