Accountability

It is easy to blame others when things go wrong, isn’t it? Your chair is compulsive about APA…. The URR is mean and impossible to please. However, today I want to remind you how important it is to be accountable for your own actions in general. Part of being a professional is recognizing that you make your own choices, and ultimately there really is no one else to blame. Accepting your own responsibility that contributed to a problem is part of your growth. No one expects you to be perfect, it is ok to say that you messed up and you will try to correct it.

Let me give you some examples. If you are having many problems with a committee member, perhaps there are communication issues and you each are not expressing yourself clearly. Try other forms of communication such as the phone. If this doesn't work, you must accept that it is your responsibility to do something about the situation. Contact your coordinator or program director and lay out the issues as neutrally as possible. Admit that you are probably equally responsible for the problems, but you would like some help in resolving it.

Why should you take responsibility? First, it shows maturity and professionalism to understand that both parties contributed to a problem. Second, when students start playing the blame game, whining, and complaining, it comes across as the student is probably the real source of the issue- is that what you want?

An illustration:

Dr. Stadtlander,

I need your help! My URR is being totally unreasonable, she wants me to rewrite my paper again for the third time. I have so much going on in my life, I simply do not have the time to respond to her OCD problems. Please how can I rid of her??

Compare the above to this one:

Dr. Stadtlander,

I need some advice, please. My proposal has been rejected by the URR now for the third time. I accept that my writing may be at issue; however, I am not sure how best to resolve the problem. I have spoken to my chair and he acknowledges there are still issues in the paper but is not sure how I can best address them. Do you have any suggestions?

The second student is obviously open to suggestions and will be willing to follow through with them. The first one does not come across as recognizing that he/she could be part of the problem and will probably fight any suggestions I make. 

Finally, I want to remind you that being accountable gives you back control. When you recognize that you are part of the problem you can then become part of the solution. Next time I will begin a series interviewing Walden psychology mentors. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu