@Jadeliyi 25 August 2020

Whoes job is it?

This is a little story about four people named **Everybody**, **Somebody**, **Anybody**, and **Nobody**. There was an important job to be done and **Everybody** was sure that **Somebody** would do it. **Anybody** could have done it, but **Nobody** did it. **Somebody** got angry about that because it was **Everybody's** job. **Everybody** thought that **Anybody** could do it, but **Nobody** realized that **Everybody** wouldn't do it. *The story may be confusing but the message is clear: no one took responsibility so nothing got accomplished.* It’s a story that plays out often in organizations and companies and on teams—anywhere there is culture that lacks accountability. But how do you get people to take responsibly for their work? Different things work in different situations, but here are some strategies that have proven to be effective: **Become a role model.** You can’t tell people what to do if you yourself aren’t willing to hold yourself to the same level. If you want people to act responsibly, you have to be accountable. Your team and your company look to you for direction. **Don’t make assumptions.** Don’t assume that others know instinctively what to do and when to do it, or even what you expect from them. Before people can take responsibility for their work they require clear communication. The more you communicate, the better the results are likely to be. **Set the standard.** If you expect excellence, it’s up to you to set the standards for results and performance. Make each task or goal measurable and set it on a reasonable timeline so it’s achievable. Give people a clear target and they’ll work to reach it—and maybe even surpass it. **Get the buy-in to go the distance.** You need people to buy in and commit if you want to succeed. Each vision should be compelling; each goal should build toward the whole; each task should be laced with motivation. You need people to feel compelled, inspired and motivated to take responsibility. It ended up that **Everybody** blamed **Somebody** when **Nobody** did what **Anybody** could have done.