There is a huge difference between these two terms.
In my career, I moved from a business where I was the "responsible one" to a business where I was to be "accountable." I had been given an irresistible jump I simply could not put aside. However, the shock was so great I felt I had landed on a different planet. The business was big and anyone would have been proud to be in my position. But it was a culture shock for me. I felt like a country bumpkin in a big city.
I brushed up the knowledge I had picked up in the business school. I tried my best to put into practice all the skills I'd learnt along the way. I took up the situation as a challenge. But after six months I was exhausted and went back to my boss to admit defeat. I could take it no more and wanted to return to where I was comfortable. He would not listen to any of it. he politely refused my resignation.
Then the realisation struck me like a flash of lightning.
I was managing things instead of people.
I was stuck in the grooves of my previous portfolio where I was responsible for doing the work. In fact, I was still doing much of the 'stuff' in the business and not managing my people to do the 'stuff' they were qualified to do. In other words, I was doing their job at a much bigger salary and I was upsetting some of those who were paid to do it!
As soon as I realized my mistake, I took a U turn. I started developing the capabilities of my people, investing time in them rather than doing all the jobs myself. I must admit, it was much easier to do the things myself than teach others how to do them. Moreover, it was time consuming and the corporate world wants targets to be met at any cost.
But things started to turn around. The secret lay in distinguishing between being responsible and being accountable. When I was doing the job assigned to me, I was responsible for delivering results for that small part of the whole organization. Now that the business had become much bigger, I couldn't do it all any more.
To put it simply, I was now accountable for the performance of my business, and it was time to delegate responsibility to others. So, I handed over the doing part to those who were responsible for doing it. And, I was there to support them, answer their questions, solve their problems and encourage their good work. That is being accountable! It was a tough learning experience for me but enlightening all the same.
The next time you need to understand leadership I would strongly suggest you go to the dictionary and differentiate the terms "accountable" and "responsible."
Rest Of The Story
Gemstone rings are often highly sought after for their brilliant colors and artistic designs. There is no denying that these rings are breathtaking, but the stories and beliefs behind them have made them priceless. Some of the most popular stones today such as opals, emeralds, and amethyst, have been used by ancient civilizations for thousands of years.
Emeralds in Gemstone Rings
The love affair with emeralds began in ancient South America with civilizations such as the Incas and the Aztecs. In these societies, these striking green gemstones were used as religious symbols. Across the sea in ancient Egypt, Cleopatra became so enthralled with them that she exhausted several mines in an attempt to satisfy her hunger for the gemstone. Rome also used emeralds for religious purposes as it represented Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. In more recent history, emeralds have been used to prevent epilepsy, improve brain function, and were thought to enhance romantic connections.
Opals in Gemstone Rings
Opals often contain a mix of brilliant colors that appear to dance right before your eyes. These unique stones were formed back in the days of the dinosaurs when naturally occurring silica gel became mixed with water before it hardened deep inside the earth. Ancient Australian cultures, however, have a more interesting story about the origins of opals. They believed that the stones on Earth took on the colors of the rainbow after the creator arrived on the planet to bring peace to the nations.
Although they did not become a popular stone until the rise of Art Deco design in the 1900s, opals held a wide variety of powers in ancient cultures. Ancient Greeks viewed the stone as a sign of purity, foresight, and hope while the Egyptians believed the stone was responsible for helping Cleopatra woo Marc Antony.
Amethyst in Gemstone Rings
Bacchus, the god of wine, is hailed as the creator of amethyst. In a rage, Bacchus sent tigers after a maiden named Amethyst and the goddess Diana saved her by turning her to quartz. Afterwards, Bacchus stained the stone body of the maiden purple with wine as a sign of regret. This, in turn, caused the stone to be thought of as a protection against poison, illness, and evil thoughts (drunkenness). Other cultures used the stone to safeguard their crops as well. Catholics and Christians used amethyst as a sign of divinity and power in many of their religious symbols such as the 15th Century Papal Ring.
Today, these stones represent a variety of different milestones in life. Opals are included in gemstone rings for their one-of-a-kind beauty as well as a symbol of a 13th wedding anniversary and the month of October. Emeralds are popular in gemstone rings to signify a 20th or 35th anniversaries, the month of May, as well as the Taurus and Cancer astrological signs. Amethysts are often used to symbolize the month of February as well as the 4th, 6th, and 17th wedding anniversaries.
Both Harald Anderson & Christine Okelly are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Harald Anderson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Leadership, Alternative Medicine and Customer Service. Harald Anderson is the co-founder of artinspires.com a leading online gallery of Patriotic Military Art. ?When Art Inspires, Dreams Become Realities.
