RESPONSIBILITY

"You will never be responsible for something you're not capable of." — Jonas Cain

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We're living in an interesting time when there's seemingly no right choice, yet a plethora of wrong decisions.

What do you do when what you want to do doesn't line up with what is expected of you? Or when what you are are able to do doesn't match up with what you are willing to do?
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A useful tool in such circumstances is The Clarity Questionnaire:

1. What do you want to do? (The Desire Question)
2. What can you do? (The Ability Question)
3. What must you do? (The Responsibility Question)
4. What will you do? (The Commitment Question)

Each question pulls back a layer of confusion to assist in decision-making, and though each question has it's value and its place, my favorite question is The Responsibility Question. The reason I appreciate this question so much is that we will never be held responsible for something that we’re not capable of doing, or at the very least capable of learning how to do. After all, if something was truly beyond our ability we simply wouldn't be responsible for it.

For example, during the pandemic I found myself with far fewer clients than usual. This is certainly understandable since the schools and companies I typically work with were suddenly and unexpectedly closed and forced to deal with just getting by, and with some even closing permanently. When organizations are forced into survival mode, often the first thing to go is the investment in the personal and professional development of their people. As understandable as this is, this is truly unfortunate, because a time like this is exactly when students and employees need social emotional skills the most to be most effective in their performance.

Regardless of the state of affairs, I found myself in a situation where I had some important decisions to make and no decision seemed right. Yet, by looking at my most pressing responsibilities I was able make key choices to keep the Hashtag Positivity lights on while also making valuable changes to the business operations so that we'll be ready to serve our clients again when they're ready. 

The next time you find yourself in a situation where you're not sure what the right choice is, looking to The Responsibility Question can be a great place to start, because it not only reveals what you should do, it also reveals what you're truly capable of.

Reflection​
What must you do? What does this tell you about your capabilities? And what will you do with this information?