Every act we perform is, in its foundation, a free one (Freedom And Accountability At Work, Koestenbaum and Block, 2001, P. 49)___________________________________
The western world is in love with the concept of freedom. It is the most precious aspect of society. Whether it is the freedom of religion or speech, the freedom to choose our political leaders, or to pursue the life we choose without fear of interference from individuals or governments, freedom is essential and paramount in all things.
However, when we move from our societal craving for freedom to our personal lives, or the workplace, we seem ready to give up our freedom and are willing to put our happiness and our level of motivation in the hands of someone else. In the workplace we call this someone else "management". It becomes management's job to give us rewarding work, to motivate us, to make us into high-performing individuals and teams. We tell ourselves that our mechanical systems of rewards and punishments, measurements, strategies, or command and control structures get the behaviors that we want from our organizations. In short, we create these devices to help eliminate the need for the exercise of free will.
Koestenbaum and Block suggest that this "escape from freedom," as Erich Fromm called it, is in large part due to the fact that "...with freedom comes accountability, and with accountability comes guilt, and with guilt comes anxiety. Since our freedom leads to anxiety, it is easier to repress it than to bear it proudly." (Freedom And Accountability At Work, Koestenbaum and Block, 2001, P. 30) Both in our lives and in our work it is often easier to deny our freedom and allow others to choose than to make difficult choices ourselves.
But this creates an interesting paradox. By allowing others to choose I have made a choice. I have chosen to give others the power to choose for me, which in itself is an exercise of my free will. Therefore, I am still accountable, at least to myself, for the results of my decision.
Arguments are sure to be put forward showing how, at least in certain circumstances, I had no choice in the matter: "I hate this job, but if I don't come to work I will be fired. I have no choice but to come to work." Or, "The law says I have to pay my taxes. I have no choice. If I don't pay my taxes I will go to jail."
When these statements are examined more closely we see that there is an element of choice in each. I choose to continue to go work at a job that I hate because I am unwilling to deal with the consequences of walking away from the job. Instead of choosing to look for another job, I choose to continue working at the one I have. I am accountable for my choice to continue in an unpleasant job instead of changing my situation. I choose to pay my taxes because I am not willing to be accountable for the consequences related to not paying my taxes. Regardless of why I made the choice to pay my taxes, it is still my choice to make the payment.
We are not always in control of the alternatives among which we may choose. Having free will does not imply that life will always be perfect, or that the choice of another option would have provided us with great happiness. But through the exercise of our free will we are able to embrace our humanity, and to take on the succession of risks that life has to offer.
Recognizing that we are free gives us the ability to exercise control over our existence, and lets us shift from blaming others for how things are to being accountable for our life. "Once the inevitability [that we are accountable] is recognized, we will be inclined to place the full blame [or credit] on ourselves rather than on others or on objective situations beyond our control." (Freedom And Accountability At Work, Koestenbaum and Block, 2001, P. 79)
The good news is that you have free will, and that opens up a world of opportunity. The bad news is that you have free will, and that opens up a world of accountability. Good luck with both.
The question that I want to pose is do we really have “free will” or is that just a misconception? If I was really free to make any decision I would not worry about the consequences. But I am not really free to make those decisions because of all the other responsibilities that I have. Am I really able to quit a job that I hate? The consequences of that decision are dire – no income, no food. So I will be accountable for the “free will” decision that I am making to quit my job. I am willing to have no income and not eat for a while, but what about the others that depend on me – are they willing to do without that income. So I have “free will” and am willing to be accountable for my decision, but I have responsibilities that prevent me from exercising my “free will”. So do I really have free will?
ReplyDeletePeople are free, but only beyond the perforated boundary of their life outside of accountability. John Locke in his notion of social or original contract argued that people give up some rights to a government or authority in order to maintain social order. It is management’s role to maintain order and subordinates give up certain freedoms to comply for the greater good, such as maintaining employment or achieving a common goal. Of course people have the underlying free will that can allow a person to do anything they want, but there are consequences for disturbing social order.
ReplyDeleteIn its purest form, I do not believe that you can have both freedom and accountability. If someone is responsible to somebody or for something then a bond is created between that person and that something, negating the notion of freedom.
I think some people seek purpose in life, but they want to achieve their perceived purpose while maximizing their freedoms and minimizing their accountability. I think its part of a manager’s role to help provide opportunities for people to find the balance between purpose, freedom, and accountability, while motivating and maintaining social order.
- In response to Eva's question, yes everyone has free will. It is the ability to say yes or no. It is an individual’s discernment that prevents us from feeling like we have choices in life.
Mike Kennedy
ReplyDeleteImagine yourself being born under the caste system in India. At birth your social class, occupation, wealth, political power and endogamy (marriage/spouse) is already predetermined based upon your ancestors. No matter how hard you work or what decisions you make, you have no control over your own destiny.
Sometimes we don’t fully appreciate something until we lose it. Freedom is a perfect example of this. As Americans, we are privileged with the freedom to control our own destiny. As mentioned in the blog article, personal accountability and responsibility are the cost associated with this freedom. I am proud to be an American and welcome personal accountability and responsibility for my decisions and actions.
Sometimes it feels like we don’t have choices even when we do. I believe that there are two levels to freedom of choice: 1) the ability to choose what we want 2) the ability to choose what we should. Individual choice is usually based upon social and cultural influences including: personal values, religious beliefs, morals, the law, respect for others, a prior obligation etc. This personalized philosophy limits an individual’s own variety of choices. For me personally, when faced with a difficult decision between what I want and what I should do, I default to doing “the right thing” for my family. Although I truly appreciate the opportunity to choose, it feels like my options are limited by these social and cultural influences.
I believe that freedom is a balance of desires, limitations and accountability. We all as people, organizations or even countries have desires. These desires relate to what we want to do, be, have, and experience. We must deal with these desires within limitations. These limitations can be personal, physical, mental, or legal. The final portion of freedom is the accountability aspect. This is the result of exercising freedom despite the limitations. As a result there will be some form of accountability.
ReplyDeleteEmployees work within this framework. Employees have desires and limitations. For some, it is worth the repercussions to do or say what they feel (want). These repercussions might have a detrimental impact on their career. For others, the accountability aspect might be too much. Those employees, may feel a lack of freedom. In reality, they have freedom, they are just choosing to not do as they desire as a result of the likely repercussions (accountability).
I believe that the ability to weigh the accountability with the related action is freedom.
I think it is really important to remember just how much freedom we have to make decisions and be accountable for them. We all do things we may not like because we feel there is no alternative. In reality there is always some alternative it just may be so unpleasant that we don't seriously consider it (like Jim's example of going to jail for not paying your taxes). We still have freedom to make that decision though.
ReplyDeleteThis discussion reminded me of how several celebrities who have been caught in infidelity immediately went to rehab for sex addiction. I think that is an excellent example of a lack of accountability - trying to show the world that your decision to be unfaithful was not freely made.
In the quotation from Kostenbaum and Block in paragraph 3 of the blog, did they mean to write that, “Since our [lack of] freedom leads to anxiety, it is easier to repress it than to bear it proudly?" Additionally, the sentence includes dangling participles: “repress it” and “bear it.” Repress what? Bear what? Anxiety or freedom? I think the sentence may hold true but mean different things either way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jacob Moeder’s statements in that both freedom and accountability in their purest forms cannot coexist in equilibrium without creating chaos. More specifically, if we give up a little of our freedom to others (whether in our personal relationships, to our employers, or to others), we cannot be completely accountable for the decisions we give others the authority to make for us. For example, if we make the choice to give others the authority to make a decision on our behalf and we do not like the decision another person makes, the blog teaches us to look inward to understand the decision we made to relinquish authority and allow others to make decisions on our behalf. What I don’t believe the blog considers with enough weight; however, is that others must be accountable for the decisions they make, whether they affect us or not.
I also believe that there are some who have a difficult time trusting in others to make the right decisions. In the workplace, we call these people “micromanagers.” These micromanagers rarely delegate decision-making authority and find it easier to trust in themselves rather than trusting in others. These people are different from those who Jim Elliott writes about in the blog with the following statement: “Both in our lives and in our work it is often easier to deny our freedom and allow others to choose than to make difficult choices ourselves.” Whereas Jim mentions that it is sometimes easier to allow others to choose, micromanagers on the other hand, would find it easier to allow themselves to choose instead of allowing others to do so. Therefore, I think that when it comes to decision-making, whether one finds it easier to make decisions oneself versus allowing others to do so is more a style preference than an absolute.
I also agree with Mike Kennedy’s statement and find it very significant that the choice we are often presented with is “1) the ability to choose what we want [versus] 2) the ability to choose what we should.” Interesting observation Mike!
Mike Davis
ReplyDeleteI found this statement interesting, “Both in our lives and in our work it is often easier to deny our freedom and allow others to choose than to make difficult choices ourselves.” The fire department responds to calls for help and often these calls are generated because the caller is having a difficult time making a decision. Young men and women firefighters help people make difficult decisions for themselves and sometimes the firefighters make the decision for them. Makings these types of decisions takes practice and the firefighters are good at it. If Erich Fromm is correct about freedom causing anxiety than the firefighters job certainly is stressful.
Ed Sprague
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with the basic premise of the article, free will provides both opportunity and accountability, I disagree with many of the supporting points.
In paragraph one, freedom is referred to being “…the most precious aspect of society” and “paramount in all things.” If society is defined as a group of individuals living together then I feel the most important aspect is safety. Safety, and the resulting survival, is the primary reason groups of animals and humans come together. If, on the other hand, society is defined as a governmental state or philosophy, then very few governments in the world hold personal freedom dear. Our democracy was started due to the lack of freedoms (religions, social, political) of the countries from which the original settlers and subsequent immigrants fled.
In paragraph two, “…(we) are willing to put our happiness and our level of motivation in the hands of someone else.” No way. I work because I am not a good farmer. Death due to starvation seems like a poor choice when compared to the career I love. I, like my classmates, can do many things to survive and feel very fortunate to be doing what I do for a living. If I did not do it for pay I would probably do it as a volunteer. As far as motivation, the department and staff I work for can only provide an environment in which I can be motivated – it is my choice to be motivated – it is in my hands. I seek out opportunities for challenging and motivating work. I look for personal and group improvement opportunities to become a high performer in both areas. And lastly, in developing systems, and structures, many of these elements are in place to coordinate and not control. Having certain ways of doing things in place decreases frustration and time wasting activities and allows more time for engagement in leadership.
In paragraph three”…with freedom comes accountability, and with accountability comes guilt, and with guilt comes anxiety. Since our freedom leads to anxiety, it is easier to repress it (whatever ”it” is) than to bear it proudly.” This a classic logical fallacy referred to as Slippery Slope. I do not accept that accountability creates guilt. Than sounds like the admonishment “you will be held accountable!” If language sets the tone for the culture, then the term “accountability” needs to be used and framed in a different light. In the book “The Oz Principle” by Conners, Smith, and Hickman, they promote individual and organizational accountability as a method of achieving outstanding results (I recommend reading this book).
We always have a choice. We are accountable for our choices. I am fundamentally bothered when choices made by others impact me negatively and they do not take responsibility for them.
This post makes me wonder if we have a clear understanding of what freedom is. Generally, most people hear the word and think it means that if a person is "free" then they should be able to do whatever they want with no restrictions. But to live in a functional society that provides for the needs and desires of millions of people, we can't function that "freely" - it would be complete chaos. In my mind, to have freedom means that I have the right to make my own choices. To live with the consequences of those choices (to be accountable) ensures that my freedom is protected. If people could do whatever they wanted, with no consequences, my freedom would be threatened by the chaos created by criminals and lunatics running amuck in society. It's a nice American notion that we are free to do whatever we want, but it isn't the reality of freedom when you live in a society with other people.
ReplyDeleteEva asked the question “so do I really have free will” and my answer is NO you simply have choices, with outcomes. Free will can be viewed as simply an explanation for the actions you take. While it is marketed as having some level of purity maybe it is just an explanation for the actions taken. They (citizens, supervisor, manager, elected official) “made me do it” could be viewed with the same value. The reason you did something doesn’t change the outcome. Free will becomes a situational excuse to explain and justify an action.
ReplyDeleteAccountability is the opposite explanation for actions taken if free will was not exercised, the “I did IT because I had to excuse”. The negative consequences of doing something were greater than the free will option. Again accountability as an explanation is a valid excuse. Freedom and accountability are shared responsibilities. One cannot successfully exist without the other. Both can create a number of emotions that influence decisions, and effect outcomes. Guilt and anxiety are emotional byproducts but so is joy and wellbeing. The issue is again one of balance and recognition of the influence that these emotions have. Additionally there should be recognition that someone’s free will could and does conflict and have consequences on others. The positive or negative nature of free will is in the eye of the beholder.
The relationship between “free will” and “accountability” can best be described as a polarity, not a paradox. This polarity in the decisions process provides opportunity and balance, and if managed correctly provides growth. I had written more but “the dog ate my homework.” So the dog exercised free will and I suffered the consequences. It is all nothing more than excuses.
“The good news is that you have free will, and that opens up a world of opportunity.” I agree that free will opens up a world of opportunity. In my opinion freedom means that individuals are free to pursue the life (goals, career, and possessions) they desire. That said, freedom does not mean that individuals will get the things they desire, or that the pursuit will be easy or without unforeseen challenges.
ReplyDeleteIf an individual who has freedom desires a master’s degree they are free to apply to a university, but this does not mean that they will be accepted into the program. After an individual is accepted into a program they are free to change their mind and pursue other endeavors. However, the classes one takes in pursuit of a master’s may not be of the student’s choosing. In addition, unforeseen events may cause an individual to stop pursuing the degree.
“The bad news is that you have free will, and that opens up a world of accountability.” The pursuit of the life one desires also makes an individual accountable for their actions. In other words, with freedom comes responsibility and if we do not choose the responsibility we may lose the freedom. As Americans we have a right to vote. While this is a privilege and not a requirement, if everyone failed in their responsibility to vote we would certainly lose that freedom.
Freedom and accountablility, this is an interesting topic. Richard Chappel of Princeton University talks about the negative and internal constraints with liberty aka freedom and having an affinity for external authority whereas postive liberty seeks to gravitate towards internal authority.
ReplyDeleteI see this as internal freedom or autonomy. Yes, we have freedom but in a modern, democratic society, there are resrictions.
I see "positive freedom" as autonomy and not micromanagaing.
Freedom to Plato was not the notion of being able to do whatever one wanted to do but instead would describe a person who was embodying the ideals of what he considered justice and being as good of a person or society can be.
How does this relate to us? With "freedom" comes responsiblity/accountability. Yes, we are free but we need to act in the greater good. We can't selfishly put our ideals over societal norms.
Jim Elliott, were you in my head during my 1.5 hour walk this evening trying to clear my head of all negative work thoughts and my instinct to flee this craziness of work plus school plus life? My flight instinct has me looking up one-way tickets to tropical islands and scanning my house for big money items to get me there. My boyfriend, knowing that I’m on the brink of insanity, showed up at my house with two lottery tickets. Unfortunately, I’m not a winner (this time).
ReplyDeleteI’ve always firmly believed that I have the freedom to quit 9 to 5, secure (yet at-will) jobs, where management seems to take charge of my happiness, usually in a directly inverse relationship with my motivation. I have a trend forming of hitting my peak with micromanagers and dropping, almost literally, to the bottom of the world. However, both times of dropping it all and quitting without a certain future, I have come back to the familiar world of careers and what I “should” be doing. In one move, the decision was based on the fact that I was just dealing with the same micromanagers in a not-so-challenging or rewarding job (although beautifully sunny and warm). So is the only way to truly curtail this “escape from freedom” to be an entrepreneur? Or to move somewhere where survival is your job? Both seem pretty extreme to me.
I firmly believe in holding myself accountable for the decisions that I make and I disagree that accountability is the antithesis of opportunity. I have heard a few times (and mostly from my mother) how lucky I am to have this or have done that to which I always respond that some luck may have been involved, but all decisions and leaps of faith were mine for better or worse. I embrace the accountability and the opportunity and feel that the combination is my ticket to happiness. Once someone or some force starts to shake that happiness level, it’s time for a leap. Perhaps that’s why trust is at the bottom of my POP pyramid.
Thanks for reminding me of all of this, Jim, and helping me sort out this frustration. Now back to searching for one-way tickets...
Freedom is important to our society, an is held in high regard by all of us who participate in it. The freedom to make our own choices based upon our own values is a concept unheard of in many places of the world.
ReplyDeleteI believe we have elevated the idea of freedom to a mythical state. While freedom is important by all means, there is the component of accountability to temper it. It is this accountability that allows this free society to function.
We are accountable for our actions, not just to ourselves and those we immediately surround ourselves with, but to the society within which we reside. If we do not work, we suffer the consequences of unemployment and destitution. Even then we are accountable to one another as exhibited by the various welfare programs that exist. We have collectively made a decision to help those that are unwise or unable to care for themselves.
Freedom exists, but not in the purest sense of the word. Accountability tempers freedom into a form that can be collectively shared rather than hoarded by few.
Eva, everyone has the freedom to quit their job, but they are accountable to those that rely upon them. They can therefore temper this freedom with the accountability and seek a more rewarding job.
It is the responsibility of all of us to use this freedom bestowed upon us with the wisdom of accountability to allow our society to function while allowing us all the freedom to seek that which satisfies us individually.
I agree with Jennifer that freedom does not mean that you get whatever you want. It means that you have the freedom to make choices, to choose between the options that are available to you. You may not like the options that you have (the “what I want” vs. “what I should do”?), but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have freedom to choose. There are consequences, good or bad, to every choice you make, but it is your choice to make. And if you make the choice, then you are accountable for it, even if your choice was to not make a choice. But as Chris and Flora said, many people make excuses for why they should not be accountable for their actions. I think that even when we allow other people to make decisions for us, or other people’s actions impact us, we are still accountable for the choice that got us into that situation, and partially, if not wholly accountable for the outcome. This gets to be a gray area, though. When we come together in a society, or work for someone else, there are rules that are agreed to, which basically means that consequences are assigned to certain actions. But we still have the choice as to whether or not to follow the rules – you just need to make sure that you’re willing to take responsibility for your actions and accept the consequences.
ReplyDeleteI was complaining once to someone once that I didn’t like the options that I had to choose from. This person’s answer was that I should create new choices. Difficult, maybe, but at least I have the freedom to do so. Alison – get me a one-way ticket too, please.
Rich Vance
ReplyDeleteWhen we enter the workplace, we absolutely must give up some freedom. It is a fallacy to believe otherwise. The freedom we give up is of independent determination of our actions and motivations, disregarding the influences of the workplace. Yes, we call that someone else “management”, “the boss”, “work”, or even “the man” (when I started work, there were still some children of the 60’s in the workplace). It’s not that we give up our motivation in the workplace, it’s that we adjust it from our own personal, or personal environment-influenced, desires.
In the workplace, we are bathed in motivational influences from management’s initiatives to motivate us in the direction they would like us to go. Picture the employee handbook, the laws, regulations, procedures, case law, city policies, etc. We are motivated toward action and consequences to comply with workplace cultural order, power and control issues (of coworkers, bosses and the public), personal career benefit and, in the best case scenario, the good of the (good) organization. We don’t always respond in the desired ways, perhaps, but there is almost always some type of “response”, even if it is resistant inaction, and consequence. The employee who responds negatively to all motivational influences of the workplace won’t be employed long, generally.
Our free will is working at work constantly, (even if we're not). Our freedom is intact. It’s just that sometimes the freedom may be a choice between undesirable or uncomfortable alternatives. If you feel bad about it, get over it. Literally, get over it! If you can’t control the choices, you still have the freedom to control and adjust your attitude. You, only, control your attitude. Instead of thinking of slavery to external motivational influences, why not partner up with some of those better motivational influences, adopt them as your own motivational goals in alignment, and drop your blood pressure a few points?
Whining about freedom causing you anxiety is not going to get you much in life (maybe a 6 a.m. stool at the Golden Tee!). Accept the accountability for your life and take responsibility. Accountability and responsibility are essential personality traits of a leader, especially of a leader in the management field. It starts with just admitting when you make mistakes. As managers, if we expect our employees to own their errors and accept disciplinary consequences, we must also model that behavior when we make mistakes and break rules. Winston Churchill said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” It’s a significant price. You are free to make the choice to be responsible, or not. You are never free from the consequences of that choice, though. Choose wisely.
"with freedom comes accountability, and with accountability comes guilt, and with guilt comes anxiety. Since our freedom leads to anxiety, it is easier to repress it than to bear it proudly."
ReplyDeleteFreedom comes in many different forms such as social, economic, physical and political. There are limitations to every type of freedom because you have the ability to abuse these freedoms, and this can affect others. No other democratic society in the world permits social or personal freedom to the degree of the United States of America. The freedom of expression is given to us to express our feelings, yet we still take this freedom for granted by publicly offending others by obscenity and racism. It is sad, but you see it every day.
Freedom means more than just free to do whatever oneself want. Certainly freedom does mean the right to do as one pleases but only until your choices start to infringe on another person’s freedom. The word freedom contains a deep meaning in it. People have the desire for freedom as well as a desire for limitations on their freedom. Freedom and the limitations on freedom are both needed to live and work peacefully. Absolute freedom cannot be achieved because when you take away limitations you take away a freedom. Without rules governing our society, employees would be able to do what they want to each other with out fear of punishment. Freedom is synonym of license which means restrictions.
Also, the success or failure of an organization is based on personal accountability. There is a societal eagerness to shift the blame on anyone and anything to avoid taking blame for negative outcomes.
Like a disease that gets progressively worse, the inability to accept responsibility for one’s actions deteriorates communication, relationships and an organization’s vitality.
Barbara Kennedy has left a new comment.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about freedom, I think about the Declaration of Independence which gives us the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Americans have the freedom to make choices, but we also have laws that were created for the good of the people. Not everyone agrees with these laws, but in general, we accept them, and abide by them, and this establishes the norms for our society.
I think we can draw an analogy between our government and our workplace. When we chose to work for a company, we give up some of our freedoms and we acknowledge that we must abide by the rules, regulations, and processes that are created by management (gov’t) for the good of the company (nation). You state “it’s management’s job to give us rewarding work, to motive us, to make us into high-performing individuals”. I do not believe that management can be held accountable for our transformation into motivated, high-performing individuals. Nor do I believe that the government can be held completely accountable for what we achieve as a nation. Within the confines of our accepted societal norms, our nation provides every one of us (regardless of race, religion, gender, social status, etc.) the freedom, opportunity, and environment to achieve our dreams, goals and desires. Similarly, I believe that it is management’s responsibility to provide an opportunity for us to have rewarding work, and to provide a supportive environment where we can be self-motivated and have the opportunity to become high-performing individuals and achieve our professional dreams. And if that environment is not provided to us through our workplace, we have the freedom to choose another environment in which to work.
To fully exercise our freedom, we often need courage to make those difficult life-changing decisions. No one said it would be easy. We all have the opportunity to shape our reality through our choices made by our own free will. Like it or not, you are accountable for the life that you have made for yourself. Management or government can’t force you to achieve your dreams. They can only provide the environment for this to occur. I believe each and every one of us has the ability and freedom to make choices and as you say, to have the “ability to exercise control over our existence”. We are accountable for our good decisions and our bad decisions. We are accountable for the choices that we make, that we do not make, or that we allow others to make for us. But of course, it is much easier to whine about having no choice than to have the courage to change your life.
Dan King wrote:
ReplyDeleteFreedom and accountability, two strongly linked concepts that are commonly encountered in not only the workplace, but at home and throughout society. I personally place a high standard on always being accountable for ones actions, good or bad. People are free to make their own decisions, but they must also be willing to live with the consequences, or be accountable for their actions. As I read some of the other blog posts, I notice that some people place freedom and accountability on different sides of the spectrum. I don’t necessarily think that you have to give up one for the benefit of the other. That only applies to whether you are holding yourself accountable to another person, your boss, your family, etc. What I don’t see being mentioned is being accountable to yourself, your values, your morals, your ethics. Yes, we generally have to give up some of our freedoms in the workplace, but you always have the choice whether or not to act on any issue, knowing the consequences. I don’t accept the phrase, “Its not my fault, I was told to do it this way.” You have a choice whether or not to act a certain way. If you don’t agree with it, that’s ok, you just have to be ok with the consequences. This pertains to individual accountability as well. You have the freedom to choose not to work, live on the streets, and not pay your taxes if that’s what your values, ethics and morals allow.
Brenda Heskett:
ReplyDeleteThere was once a Principal Planner that yearned to be the Planning Manager. He was given the opportunity to temporarily fill the vacancy, sort of a trial to see how well the Planner did. One day the Planning Director was not in the office and there was an urgent matter that needed to be resolved that quickly. The Associate Planners all looked to the Acting Planning Manager to help resolve this urgent matter and to their dismay all he could do was to state "lets wait until the Director comes back", two days passed and the Director was still ill and had not yet returned, and still the Acting Planner Manager could not take a stand on the urgent matter. The Associate Planners were quite upset and so was the City Manager. Because of this issue the Principal Planner was no longer the Acting Planning Manager. The point to this story is that the Principal Planner did not want to make any decisions that he could be held accountable for yet he had the freedom to pursue this career choice that he soon found out was not for him.
We all have the freedom to make choices or not make choices and everyone of those freedoms are bound to being accountable for the consequences of those choices. As a leader in a public organization we have the freedom to make decisions on how to lead, how to motivate, how to act, how to communicate and yet we need to acknowledge and be accountable for what the those choices may result in.
Individual freedom is dependent upon one’s perspective. However accountability for one’s perspective can have many different outcomes or consequences. Last week a court in Moscow sentenced a longtime human rights activist, and an organizer of the opposition Solidarity movement, to three days in prison for taking part in "an unsanctioned rally." Russia's constitution guarantees freedom of assembly, but any gathering requires a permit and permits are routinely denied to anyone who questions the ruling regime. In our house the ruling party is my wife; my son’s belief in freewill may conflict with our efforts to pre-determine his actions. Although, he does have the freedom to move out and live on his own. The free-will most likely determine his independent actions. So there for; his freedom is closely associated with his accountability…
ReplyDeleteA benefit of coming last is digesting all of the great comments that come before!
ReplyDeleteA lot of the posts speak of balance. This may be a stretch but I thought I'd take things in a different direction. I just finished listening to "Freakonomics" (speaking of freaks, I'm an audiobook freak) where economists look at "The Hidden Side of Everything." One of the things they looked at is how does parenting make a difference in a child's life? The authors propose that child rearing is 50% nature (people are born wih certain traits) and 50% nurture (how a child is raised). And they did regression analysis on various scenarios to see what was correlated. It made for really interesting reading/listening and I appreciated how they could put numbers to this question and come up with data for something that seemed difficult to measure.
I bet they could find metrics for freedom and accountability and it would make an equally interesting chapter!
When I looked up the definition of freedom in the dictionary, one of the entries listed was:
ReplyDelete"the power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without; autonomy; self-determination."
The concept that there may be "constraints" coming "within" ourselves is an interesting notion. If that is the case, is this something we can change? I believe people have more freedom than they percieve. We are often told that "perception is reality." If this is the case, it would be very difficult to move past internal barriers that can't been seen. I think this is were coaching, therapy, or honest feedback from others, (perhaps in the context of OD work),can help people better exercise their freedom.
I've come to this discussion late, and it seems to have dried up.
ReplyDeleteMy own take is that the extent to which we actually have free will, we constantly face the dilemma/choice between freedom and accountability.
My own question, not really discussed here, is, do we truly have free will? or merely the illusion of free will. Assuming we are even conscious of the act of making a choice, are we in fact conscious of the whole cultural imperatives which drive our (unconscious) choices. The extent to which the mind is not fully conscious of the environment in which it operates (whether it is biologic imperatives or archetypal imperatives, are any if us 'really' exercising free will?