Establishing and agreeing to responsibilities together is a way to create a contract between team members about who is going to do what and when, and make clear each person’s needs, spheres of responsibility and influence.
It helps us to acknowledge our own place and role in a team and how our work affects each other member of the team, and it can support working through problems more openly together. It also makes it harder for individuals to sit on or hide issues or errors.
As well as building trust and aiding productivity, this approach also creates a safer space to ask for help or to check in on each other’s progress.
As leaders, when we make an effort to understand and highlight the strengths and responsibilities of each team member, we help them to feel seen and appreciated. And responsibility builds accountability!
If you would like to grow your capacity to lead an open, responsible team, I would love to work with you.
