Today we as individuals are experiencing many changes in our lives and the lives of our families. Each of us as individuals whether we are adults or children has responsibilities, which we must honor. Doing less will not only affect us and our families it will affect the lives of countless others. The jobs we have affect the lives of those who want or need the product or service in which we are involved. Recent events have identified problems in the financial markets and it appears some action is needed by the government to address the situation. However, at the time of this article no action has been taken. It is no secret that the public does not like the prospect of government action. The example points to a greater problem in society today. That is the focus of this article.
We as individuals have responsibilities and those responsibilities affect the lives of others. As parents, we have the responsibility to take care of our children and provide for their welfare. This responsibility is not easy but it is important that we take it seriously. We must be people of character and integrity and be a positive example for them and others. Failure to accomplish these responsibilities will affect their lives and the lives of those who they touch.
The main point of this article is not to point blame as to the cause of the financial crisis but to identify the need to act responsibly as individuals. In the business environment there are various levels of responsibilities and each are important. Employees have a responsibility to perform their duties and the highest level in the company has different responsibilities. While there is a difference in their responsibilities, both levels have an impact. Their actions and decisions have an impact on their company, their stockholders, their families, and the public who are customers. In recent years, we have seen inappropriate decisions by company management, which had a detrimental effect on their company and the public. It is important to remember that decisions we make have an impact far greater than we may realize.
We have a great country and if nothing else is learned from the present financial crisis it
must be the fact that individuals failed to accomplish their responsibilities. This is a prime example of what can happen when we do not take our responsibilities seriously. Everything we do as individuals affect others. Our activities and decisions have an impact on our family, the company we work for and those with whom we work. We have a responsibility to our employers to complete our assigned tasks and to do it with quality of purpose and integrity. Companies have customers for their products/services and it is important to them for us to live up to our responsibilities. We must put ourselves in the place of those who need or want our product or service. How would we feel if we discovered that individuals at companies where we buy products or services are not doing their job? We would be upset and rightfully so.
Many of us either have a business or are working for one. It is always important to put the customer first. One way to satisfy customers and keep them is to consider them when making decisions. This involves taking responsibility for our job function and how it affects not only those around us but also those who are affected by what we do. While the focus of this article is living up to our responsibilities I must state there are many who take pride in what they do and take their responsibilities seriously. Many times, we as individuals have job responsibilities, which affect the health and safety of others as in the healthcare industry and law enforcement.
Every job has certain responsibilities and in many cases, the products or service of one company can have an impact on others. I believe our economy is strong with the caliper of workers who do their jobs well. Those who live up to their responsibilities and the impact they have are important to have in our economy. When things go wrong we want answers on how it happened. In many instances, it boils down to the fact that individuals failed to honor their responsibilities. This sometimes occurs at more than one level and when decisions by others affect our lives, we get angry. We may never know the true impact we have on the lives of others, including our families, if we do not honor our responsibilities.
In summary, it is important to take our responsibilities seriously. The recent financial crisis involved individuals who appear to have failed to honor their responsibilities. While it is not presently known, what action the government will take in this present crisis something must be done though we may not like it. People must be held accountable for their actions, especially when they greatly affect the lives of others. In the past individuals in charge of companies made decisions, which affected their lives, their employees, their stockholders, and those who bought their products. We must take action to inform companies with which we do business that we expect integrity and accountability in the conduct of their business.
There have also been reports where some companies had outside influence to make decisions, which they know were wrong. This kind of influence should be fought by management in honoring their responsibilities to properly manage their companies and keep them profitable Customers who buy products or services trust companies to conduct their business honestly and with integrity of purpose. Trust is there initially when customers buy products or services but this trust is not something that stays forever. When a company loses the trust of their customers, it is hard to regain it. This is a big reason to take our responsibilities seriously.
Honoring our responsibilities is important but it is how we accomplish them that matters. Integrity today is increasingly becoming more important as issues surface in society. We hear many times from politicians that there needs to be accountably. We can start today as individuals to be accountable not only to ourselves but also to those whose lives we affect. While we may not like government intervention into the private sector, it is we as individuals who cause this to occur. Some say that society should regulate itself and in some cases, it has worked. Government oversight is sometimes necessary in relation to the impact if health, safety or the security of the country is involved. Examples of products, which affect our health, are food and medicine.