Being a manager is hard work.
Seriously hard work.
You have to manage your team, achieve goals, manage expectations, communicate bad news, spend time on hiring, retaining, motivating, firing.
It is seriously hard work
Yet somehow, everyone wishes to become one.
There is something appealing about being a manager. Being called a manager.
And with being a manager comes higher responsibility.
A bigger team to manage
A bigger area to control
More decision making powers
More influence
A bigger span of influence
And everyday, I see people seeking this influence.
Asking for more and more responsibility
For bigger teams
For more control
Rarely, do I find people asking for more accountability
Make me accountable for a bigger goal
Make me accountable for a larger purpose
Make me accountable for higher target
Make me accountable for the development of my team and my own learning
The next time you ask for a raise or a promotion, ask yourself why didn’t you instead ask for a higher target instead?
Managers seek more and more responsibility for themselves. Leaders demand more and more accountability for themselves
Really what’s the difference between being accountable and responsible? Both terms are used so interchangeably.
@Naresh
1. I think Responsibility comes with a potential downside as well as a potential upside. Accountability only has a potential downside.
2. Accountability also has a sort of permanency to it. You can shirk off Responsibility, but if you’re going to be held Accountable, you’ve got nowhere to run.