My cousin’s five-year-old son, Pranav, stayed with us during the weeklong celebrations of my brother’s wedding. An extremely active and intelligent child, he surprised us with his resourcefulness in getting into trouble. He would admit to his misadventures but he was never contrite. His answer was always the same: “My mother beats me!”
I was able to laugh at his passing off the blame but irresponsible adults make me want to beat them up! Whether you are in the office or at home, if you have made a commitment or accepted a task, then it is expected that you will fulfill your part of the bargain with sincerity. There will be roadblocks and diversions, but it is your responsibility to ensure that it gets done. No two ways about it. Show up. Get help. Recruit others. Get it done. Someone is counting on you to do your part so that they can do theirs. Accountability is important.
Sometimes there may be valid reasons that make it impossible to meet a goal. A responsible person will inform others of this possibility so that they may adjust their expectations and find an alternative reasonable solution. You need to say that you cannot do it so that someone else can.
It is entirely possible that one day that someone will get so fed up that, taking a cue from Pranav’s mother, they beat the irresponsibility out of you!
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