Client Obligations And Handling Your Boss By Jessica Silliman

It Wasn’t My Fault

Tia Benjamin, writer of organizational policies, procedures, and management training programs for more than a decade, suggests: “Irresponsible employees have a direct impact on productivity and the bottom line,” and goes on to explain that irresponsible workers can actually harm the morale of those around them (n.d.). The article Client Obligations and Handling your Boss by Jessica Silliman brings to light just one example of an epidemic that is sweeping modern America. There is a clear lack of personal responsibility.

Recap of Relevant Facts

A new employee, Rosie Alexander, was given a task from her supervisor, Conor Hall. The task was answering a few questions about a recent acquisition of new stock for a long-term client. Rosie, unable to answer all of the questions and provide a comprehensive response, sent her draft back to Conor requesting additional information. She expressly stated in her response that the information that she provided should not be sent to the client due to the informal nature of the response. A few days later when the client followed up with her request Conor, who had not yet done anything with Rosie’s response, forwarded the incomplete response to the client. When client then complained that the response lacked detail, instead of taking any form accountability or responsibility, Conor placed the blame on Rosie. In doing so he put her in a difficult position and made her look unreliable. The next day Rosie decided to approach her supervisor and tell him that he should tell the client the truth to which Conor agreed.

The Root of the Problem

We have forgotten, or are no longer being taught, what it means to have any sort of personal or professional responsibility.

Problem C...

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... become all too rare in today’s leaders,” and went on to explain that unfortunately the trend of irresponsibility is introduced to us as children at a young age. It can begin with waivers which abdicate responsibility of the school or institution should one decide to have their child play sports (2013). Unfortunately it does not end there; more often than not we purchase goods and services which come with notices that limit the company’s liability if their product does not perform necessarily as intended. Sadly, with lawsuits such as Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaraunts, which awarded an undisclosed amount of money to the defendant due to the coffee being “too hot,” these types of limited liability notices, that most would call common sense, are going to become much more common. After all how is one supposed to know that the coffee is hot without the warning label?