Responsibility

by Eileen Nonemaker

Eileen’s long, successful career in sales and sales management makes her an easy choice for those leaders and managers who are responsible for generating revenue and achieving corporate goals and have no time to waste getting there. Clients appreciate her ability to help them quickly select, assess, train and develop their sales teams whether they are selling products or services. New teams get brought up to speed quickly and experienced teams develop what is necessary to perform at the next level. Through goal setting, skill refinement and the development of accurate forecasting skills, she has helped both individuals and teams develop strong success strategies. Utilizing her formal training as a business coach and consultant to supplement her natural ability to connect with people, Eileen gains the trust and respect needed to interact with both leadership and team members. When coaching individual clients, Eileen becomes a 'lady on a mission' to help them succeed. Eileen is able to help them stay focused on their objectives and establish goals that take them to that next level in their personal and/or business lives. Her coaching typically involves teaching people how to set measurable goals, how to look at goals objectively and how to re-evaluate them periodically to stay on track. Eileen’s goal as a coach is to help her clients find the right balance between career and family so they have the best of both worlds.

Responsibility means doing what you are supposed to do and doing what you say you will do. It means to persevere. To keep on trying and always do your best. To be responsible is to act with self-control and self-discipline, think before you act, consider the consequences in advance, and be fully accountable for your choices.

In January, one of the fifth grader teachers asked me to facilitate a session on responsibility even though it was not the Pillar of that month. He was frustrated that there were several students who had not completed an important homework assignment by the due date, and he was hoping that a Character Counts! session might reinforce some of his comments to the class.

Being a former art teacher, I took the opportunity to create a lesson that would be a visual one. We discussed what being responsible means, not only using the definition noted earlier, but actual everyday examples of how they can show they are responsible. Then we defined the word "visualize". They understood that to visualize is to create a picture in your head, so I had them close their eyes and visualize themselves "doing something responsible".

On a sheet of drawing paper, they were to then duplicate that picture in pencil or markers. Their activities ranged from doing the dishes and walking a pet, to helping a grandmother on the stairs. Clearly they all know what it means to BE responsible - they just don't always choose to be responsible.

As adults, are we any different? How many of us can visualize ourselves completing a project, despite a series of obstacles? Can we see ourselves using self- control and self-discipline - avoiding over reaction or shortness of temper when stressed? Can we picture ourselves admitting responsibility for our mistakes? Athletes frequently use the visualization techniques such as shooting baskets, hitting a home run or making a hole-in-one. Crossing the finish line in a road race or accepting an award all work to create the positive attitude that leads to success. Just the idea of seeing yourself succeeding helps to create the path to getting there. It works for simple things as well as for more difficult tasks.

So, I think we all can learn a lesson from the eleven year-olds. When we have a tough project or a difficult situation, the mere act of visualizing the responsible behavior wanted, can act as the first step to making it happen. Clearly as an adult we know what it means to be responsible. we just need to understand that we must choose to be so and there are ways to help make it happen.