# Responsibility 责任 (zé rèn) Domain: 🟪 Executing ### Signature Theme Description Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable. When assigning new responsibilities, people will look to you first because they know it will get done. When people come to you for help —and they soon will —you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should. ### Shared Theme Description People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty. ### Additional notes: For them, there is only "do, or do not." When they take on a task, they don't say, "I'll try to get this done for you." They don't try -- they do. They are dependable, trustworthy, productive, reliable -- they own their commitments. (source: 4)  "People who are serious and conscientious about keeping commitments to others and doing things right." He continued to say that people with strong Responsibility talents like to be asked to do something, rather than to ask someone else to do something. (source: 1) Responsibility is a very productive theme, and it is externally motivated: "If I said I would do it, you can count on me to get it done when I said I would. I won't let you down." It's not so much the feeling of checking it off the list that motivates those with high Responsibility; rather it is the deep satisfaction that comes from having a reputation as one who keeps their commitments -- 100% of the time. "You can count on me" is a phrase those with strong Responsibility talents tend to say often -- and like saying it, because it is true. Utterly dependable is the brand of Responsibility. (source: 5) REWARD: to feel fulfilled from completing the commitment. Deep need to be recognized by people. Desire not to disappoint others "I assigned this to you, and you did not do it" is deadly Reputation is important to person with Responsibility. "I want you to trust me" and "and I want to be able to trust you" "I'm responsible for the things you are responsible for" (source: 3) Expects to be reciprocated. Instinctive ability to take ownership. Every human being needs to be responsible for something. If no, then tend to babysit. Needs everything to be "accounted for", and nothing left on the table. Question: Because of your theme, you will likely receive many requests to participate in committees or projects. What can you do to prevent from being overloaded? Learn to evaluate opportunities, and say no to the wrong kind of work. Use other themes as a filter to identify opportunities . The idea of truly owning something that might excite you; really being able to rely on yourself is energizing. Needs: - Role and Responsibility clarity. - Ways to translate a progress tracker in the brain to somewhere everyone can access. - Judgement-free environment to discuss what we have done, and what we are learning - Take on tasks that puts you in charge of how things are executed, and to serve someone's purpose important for somebody with high Responsibility to name 1 or 2 priorities that you have this week. And then see your work through the lens of those priorities. Don't go around vacuuming up the tasks that others are dropping. (source: 3) If you're going to not complete something, you probably need obvious confirmation and clarity of what the new direction is. You don't just drop something and then move on very easily. Responsibility is an Executing Domain, not relationship building. Too many commitments can get in the way of your relationships. So don't let your to-do's take over your to-be's or your to-be-with's. ### Helps and Hinders _**Helps**_ - You do what you say you are going to do. Others can count on you to follow through. - Your psychological ownership of what you commit yourself to makes you a valuable partner when quality is on the line. - Your Responsibility talents foster a deep sense of trust, which enables you to build strong and lasting relationships. - If you lead a team, one advantage of Responsibility is it enables you to build a sense of loyalty and trust among those you lead. As a result, your team members feel comfortable coming to you for help because they know they can count on you. (source: 4) _**Hinders**_ - Because committing to something you're asked to do gives you great satisfaction, you may find that you tend to say "yes" to everything -- and find yourself overcommitting. Being responsible is important, but before you take on a new commitment, take time to decide whether you can meet it. Nothing feels worse to you than not being able to keep a commitment. - By nature, you are not particularly good at delegating. Your Responsibility talents can cause you to keep work, projects, assignments on your plate rather than giving them to someone else. If you lead a team, this can cause your team members to miss important developmental opportunities. Remember, you are responsible not only for getting the work done but also for developing the talents and skills of your team members. - Your reliability can cause others to take you for granted and ask you to take on work for which you are not best suited -- but you take it on anyway because you can be counted on. Learn which projects would be best accomplished by others. - Your strong Responsibility talents may lead you to micromanage others' work. Learn to let go, advise when necessary, and let others learn and grow from the experience. (source: 4) ### Raw and Mature Raw or Shadow of this theme in a team: Micromanagement - Micro-management is felt by the receiver, and can be highly situational. Not all instances of micro-managing is bad, sometimes it is needed depending on situation. Mature Responsibility theme is being selective of the sphere of responsibility they agree to take on. They may use other themes, e.g. Relator or Strategic, as a filter for the lens they view Responsibility through. They do not ask for promotion, they believe if they are responsible they will be promoted (source: 3) Raw executes out of guilt. Mature executes out of joy. People with Responsibility can end up with too much to do, and when they get overloaded, they miss out on the joy of delivering what they said would deliver. Raw says I have to own everything all by myself; it can look like a distrust of others. Mature side is empowerment and enablement, a commitment to others -- and choosing where to specialize and when to commit. (source: 6) > "Responsibility equals accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have." - Pat Summitt #quote ### With other Themes: #CS/Responsibility🟪 #CS/Achiever🟪 **Responsibility** talents like to be asked to do something, rather than to ask someone else to do something. **Achiever** likes to take on tasks ^9f916c #CS/Responsibility🟪 #CS/Achiever🟪 **Responsibility** motivation is not to let other people down, or respond to other people's needs as a act of service. Is an external motivator. **Achiever** starts the day at zero, is motivated by completing something and check that off the list ^a73247 #CS/Responsibility🟪 #CS/Achiever🟪 For **Responsibility**, the reliability results from feeling good about being someone others can count on to keep their word and fulfill their commitments. For **Achiever**, the reliability results from feeling good about accomplishing a lot and being known as a hard worker who can be counted on to get things done. ^076bb2 #CS/Restorative🟪 #CS/Responsibility🟪 **Restorative** is an awareness of what's broken, energy and patience toward fixing it. **Responsibility** is an awareness of what's promised, energy and excitement toward fulfilling it ^659878 #CS/Arranger🟪 #CS/Responsibility🟪 **Arranger** can sort a lot of variables at once, holding the most efficient configuration in their head; **Responsibility** says, I can understand multiple commitments all at once, and I can balance the needs of multiple constituencies. ^d7b3ac #CS/Responsibility🟪 and #CS/Maximizer🟧 One of the similarities between Responsibility and Maximizer lies in the output of their work -- both **Responsibility** and **Maximizer** tend to produce work of exceptionally high quality. But the motivation for producing quality comes from a very different place for each theme. • Those high in **Responsibility** produces a high quality of work because they have a commitment to doing what is right; those high in **Maximizer** produce a high quality of work because they have a commitment to excellence. • Those strong in **Maximizer** talents are committed to turning something strong into something superb, while those with strong **Responsibility** talents are committed to taking psychological ownership of what they say and do. • **Maximizer** feels unfulfilled when failing to meet or exceed a standard of excellence, while **Responsibility** fills guilt when failing to do something right. (source: 5) ^382bbd ![[🟪 CS_Deliberative#^c2529f]] ![[🟪 CS_Belief#^60fc21]] ![[🟪 CS_Deliberative#^bf7bd8]] ![[🟪 CS_Belief#^724308]] #CS/Responsibility🟪 and #CS/Belief🟪 **Responsibility** and **Belief** can look a lot alike -- especially because there is a strong values component to each theme. • **Belief** makes sacrifices for things that are important; **Responsibility** keeps promises and follows through on commitments. For **Responsibility**, however, the values orientation tends to be more personal and relational than for Belief. • **Belief** is driven to act with integrity, **Responsibility** is driven to serve. • For those high in **Responsibility**, values are best demonstrated in make commitments and keeping commitments to others; for those high in Belief **values** are best demonstrated in altruistic acts. • **Responsibility** says, "Others can see my values by the way I keep my commitments;" **Belief** says "Others can see my values by the causes I am committed to." (source: 5) ^acf501 #CS/Responsibility🟪 and #CS/Discipline🟪 Both **Responsibility** and **Discipline** have a reliability factor to them. • That reliability for **Responsibility** is more external, and for **Discipline** it is more internal. • Individuals with **Responsibility** in their Top 5 tend to keep their promises and follow their commitments, and those with **Discipline** in their Top 5 tend to plan in advance and the follow the plan. • Both attributes, while motivationally different, make Discipline and Responsibility very reliable. • Those high in **Discipline** meet deadlines because it makes the feel good; those high in **Responsibility** meet deadlines because it makes others respect them. • Both **Discipline** and **Responsibility** can be counted on to complete the task on time. (source: 5) ^306517 #CS/Belief🟪 and #CS/Achiever🟪 and #CS/Responsibility🟪 **Belief** executes on what aligns to their values or to their gut.  **Achiever** tracks their own personal records.  **Responsibility** drives really hard, because someone else is counting on them. ![[🟩 CS_Learner#^05a517]] ### Themes that Moderate #CS/Positivity🟦 #CS/Command🟧 #CS/Self-Assurance🟧 #CS/Adaptability🟦 #CS/Ideation🟩 #CS/Strategic🟩 (source: 4) #CS/Responsibility🟪 #CS/Discipline🟪 #CS/Focus🟪 Partner with someone with a strong **Discipline** or **Focus** theme. This person can help you stay on track and prevent you from becoming overloaded. ^5b3d7d #CS/Responsibility🟪 #CS/Strategic🟩 If you have both **Responsibility** and **Strategic** as your top themes, your Strategic theme may help you only take on on tasks that aligns with a greater goal. This helps protects your sphere of responsibility. ^9e9733 ### Themes that Intensify #CS/Relator🟦 #CS/Achiever🟪 #CS/Belief🟪 #CS/Restorative🟪 #CS/Consistency🟪 #CS/Includer🟦 (source: 4) #CS/Responsibility🟪 #CS/Achiever🟪 #CS/Significance🟧 **Responsibility** + **Achiever** + **Significance** = Superman (source: 3) #CS/Responsibility🟪 #CS/Input🟩 If you have both **Responsibility** and **Input** in your top theme, you may feel the need to take on many responsibilities because your input gives you wide exposure to many things or experience, ^fece3e ------------ Sources: Theme Descriptions: Rath, Tom. _StrengthsFinder 2.0_. Gallup Press, 2007. 1 [Responsibility: Learning to Love All 34 Talent Themes](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/251156/responsibility-learning-love-talent-themes.aspx) 2 [Responsibility: Highlights From Your CliftonStrengths 34](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/268079/responsibility-highlights-cliftonstrengths.aspx) 3 [talent2titan: Responsibility: the reward of being entrusted](https://talent2titan.circle.so/c/titan-series/responsibility-the-reward-of-being-entrusted) 4 [The Responsibility Theme: How to Productively Aim Your CliftonStrengths Talent](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/249500/responsibility-theme-productively-aim-your-cliftonstrengths-talent.aspx) 5 [Comparing and Contrasting CliftonStrengths Themes](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/250409/comparing-contrasting-cliftonstrengths-themes.aspx) 6 [Pairing and Expanding Your Strengths: Responsibility](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/250568/pairing-expanding-strengths-responsibility.aspx) Tag: #CS/Responsibility🟪 #state/published