A few weeks ago I heard the term "AOR" which stands for "Area of Responsibility", a military term, but can be a powerful question we ask ourselves.
Do you know your AOR?
Are you overly responsible taking on what isn't yours? Do you avoid responsibility? Maybe your AOR tends to be in the middle.
Being overly responsible can have roots in fear - what if something bad happens? What if you don't (whatever it is) will people still like or love you? Will you be fired from your job? Maybe it's about not having the outcome you want which is actually another fear, isn't it? Were you also aware there's a ripple effect on the people around you? They don't get to step up in their own lives; in fact they might conclude they're ineffective, incapable, and not able to be or make a contribution. They, too, are afraid.
I've heard people who don't want to be responsible say they don't want to get blamed when something goes wrong. Do you hear the fear here too?
A definition of responsibility I heard many years ago is one I love: Response-Ability, the ability to respond. Simple. Elegant. Fear FREE as there is no judgment attached to it!
The question now becomes do I have the ability to respond? If you don't, is there a skills set you need or have to brush up on? Are there people you can enlist to assist you? Now it stops being outcome focused and instead looks at how to respond.
Let's face it, fear is a part of being human. It doesn't mean, however, that you let it make your choices or decisions. It can instead be a passenger in the back seat of the car who does not get to sit in the driver or front passenger seats!
Where will you let your fear sit?
Beth
Do you know your AOR?
Are you overly responsible taking on what isn't yours? Do you avoid responsibility? Maybe your AOR tends to be in the middle.
Being overly responsible can have roots in fear - what if something bad happens? What if you don't (whatever it is) will people still like or love you? Will you be fired from your job? Maybe it's about not having the outcome you want which is actually another fear, isn't it? Were you also aware there's a ripple effect on the people around you? They don't get to step up in their own lives; in fact they might conclude they're ineffective, incapable, and not able to be or make a contribution. They, too, are afraid.
I've heard people who don't want to be responsible say they don't want to get blamed when something goes wrong. Do you hear the fear here too?
A definition of responsibility I heard many years ago is one I love: Response-Ability, the ability to respond. Simple. Elegant. Fear FREE as there is no judgment attached to it!
The question now becomes do I have the ability to respond? If you don't, is there a skills set you need or have to brush up on? Are there people you can enlist to assist you? Now it stops being outcome focused and instead looks at how to respond.
Let's face it, fear is a part of being human. It doesn't mean, however, that you let it make your choices or decisions. It can instead be a passenger in the back seat of the car who does not get to sit in the driver or front passenger seats!
Where will you let your fear sit?
Beth
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