responsible act as responsible do

Responsibility is a lonely word these days.

Not many people are able to understand its meaning - whole and true - anymore, much less live by it.

The past few weeks of my life have been coloured with an exhibition of a series of serious lapses in responsibilities by various people.

I think it is fair to assume that each and everyone of us accidentally neglects ourshare of responsibilities; we play when we are suppose to work, we sleep when we are suppose to study.

The bottom line is that everyone gets distracted from time to time.

But what happens when one's distraction becomes a cause of one's absence? What happens when you stopped doing the things people elected you to do? What happens when you started to betray the trust and expectation that other people have put upon your shoulders?

I believe the main reason behind such lapses is because that particular person does not have a thorough idea or inkling of what his position entails and expects him to do.

They come into the position expecting it to be a smooth, easy-going ride all the way when it seldom does. They are unprepared for the challenges, tensions and heartaches which comes with the package.

And when they find that things aren't as rosy as they have expected it to be, they either rough it or lose it altogether. Their unpreparedness might cause them to lean more towards the latter rather than the former.

Even if they choose to rough it, their perfomance may not be the best that they can give. And in certain circumstances, doing something half-heartedly is no better than not doing it at all.

The point I am trying to make is that whenever people's expectations doesn't match up with real life, the outcome will always be below par and the process of getting there will be frought with complications.

Therefore, people who take up something without a clear idea of what his job requires him to do, will often find themselves trapped in a situation where escape is a matter of infinite hope.

Often the case, they will have to go through it nonetheless, albeit grudgingly. This does not imply that the person is altogether unsuitable for the job; rather he have mistakenly choose the job which befits his interest or talents.

And I feel that such people neglects their responsbilities because they yearn to escape without realizing that they will be in the game for a long time.

People who expects to be served wine but instead receive plain water will have to realize that the plain water will never turn to wine no matter what. They might as well get used to it because that is all they have to keep them going.

There are also people who shirk away from their responsibilities to focus only on the things they like, whilst conveniently relegating his other responsibilities to somebody else.

The thing about having responsibilities is that you do not always get to do the things you like all the time. Often, you will occupy a higher position of having to mobilize, coordinate and direct others to ensure everything is running smoothly.

Some people thus view their responsibilities as an opportunity to indulge in the things they enjoy. If such attitude permeates an organization, I believe that the outcome will be overdeveloped in some parts but underdeveloped in most parts.

Nothing great could come out from an organization whose leader cherry-picks his responsibilities and mixes his personal indulgences with his responsibilities.

I guess this is a crucial yet subtle point to bear in mind - the distinction between one's personal, private preferences and one's official, formal responsibilities. In an organization, the latter takes precedence over the former.

Once one blurs the distinction between the two, one risk restricting the important discourses within an organization to an elite few and at the same, alienating oneself from the rest of the organization.

Besides, how can one lead a pack of sheep if one is not fully aware of whether there are any wolves in the midst?

If that happens, it would be as if the organization is running on autopilot; it is moving but you cannot really see far too much ahead. It may feel as if one is putting lots of effort, but it does not add much to the eventual outcome of the situation.

But then again, one is lucky to still have the organization on autopilot; worse still, it could be doing a nose dive.

However, one cannot expect to know that if one is busy savouring the luxurious service and sumptuous delicacies in first class, can one?

Most of the time though, some people will tend to have this deluded impression that by performing his responsibilities, he is actually doing a great service or favor to the organization.

With that notion permanently etched at the back of their minds, they will assume that they are above any criticisms, comments or suggestions. They will automatially rebuke their detractors with the overused cliche "do not bite the hand that feeds you."

Unfortunately, they have understood everything in reverse; when one is given a responsibility, the organization is not beholden to you but it is you who are beholden to the organization.

Therefore, when you slack from doing what is expected from you, then members of the organization have the right to question and make you accountable for it. The members are not just being troublesome by doing so, they are just exercising their rights.

And if one views a person's rights as an inconvenience, then perhaps you should start by denying yourselves of your own rights.

A person who denies others their rights should not have the luxury of having one in the first place.

A person who denies others their rights so as to cover his own incompetencies and insecurities should be made to eat the humble pie.

One does not make one's candle brighter by unjustly extinguishing other people's candles; besides, even a single candle looks awfully bright in a dim room.

Being responsible goes beyond the superficiality of labels, positions and recognition. It often means working honestly, dilligently and being fair to everyone without fear or favour.

Being responsible is seldom a short route to popularity and the rewards does not come easily. It stretches your wit, tests your courage, drains your energy and saps your tact.

But for those with a clear conscience - which stems from a pure intention - and backed with sufficient amounts of willpower would find the journey personally enriching.