I've decided to start a post about responsibility in America. Sorry if it goes on a bit much but I have to ask if you all are experiencing the same in your daily affairs.

I began my career in 1975 as a draftsman for an Architectural firm. I am now responsible for all of the coordination of the project in my charge. I can't believe time has passed so quickly but I've noticed since that time, a complete shedding of responsibility of others when it comes to standing behind your duty.

Nobody seem to take any responsibility any more.

I review Shop Drawings that require multiple levels of coordination between all of the parts that touch any particular component of that particular part. Shop drawings is whats builds buildings.

Take for instance an elevator. I get elevator shop drawings and I try to make certain that the precast elevator hoist way mates with the properties of the the precast along with all of the devices associated with the installation.  This would include the electrical, mechanical and structural components.

Contractually, the contractor is obligated to knit all of these things together and submit a comprehensive coordinated review of the package as a whole for review. Any questions or concerns are to be posted to the submittal for interpretation.

When I review the first pass I will post comments to the GC to see this detail on sheet so and so or refer then to a section in the specifications that ultimately assists them in the coordination process and ask that they resubmit for final review. I simplly do not want or have the time to review this three times and hope that the next submittal is comprehensive.

Not!

I get back the same crap and I can only attribute it to nobody wants to work anymore or take the responsibility and possibly be wrong. This is now becoming incredibly and inconceivably unproductive.

I set the table and no one wants to step up and make a decision. I don't know if you all are experiencing these manifestations in some part in you daily work effort but I can't imagine the level of irresponsibility as I continue toward the future.

My Dad threatened me with having to work as a ditch digger if I did not get an education.  Lately I wished I had disregarded his concerns and just become a ditch digger. After what I've been through and continue to experience I can find no other a more noble cause than to make certain that the ditch slopes in the correct manner and if it should it not, simply rework the slope till it drains positively.

Everyone seems to be afraid to make a mistake or ask a question or admit they need help... so they avoid making a decision at all. 

What a grand waste of time.

Sorry for the rant.

Steve G


 

Understood and agreed with.  Sometimes you just need to get it off your chest.  Glad we were here to help you unload.

Society and education of the last 25 or so years has been geared to every thing being somebody else's problem.  Responsibility is not taught in our public schools, nor is it encouraged. 

Some time ago I mentioned the "Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in four generations" theory and the application it has to our American culture.  Unfortunately I'm afraid we are entering the fourth generation here in the US. 

Jerry

My husband was just complaining about the fact that he is tired of some co-workers who continuelly dump their assigned work to do on his lap and refuse to do it when he has a stack a mile high of his own work to do and is burried in it. He has a coworker who pulled him asside today and told him he does above and beyond the call of duty and is writting a letter of commedation to his bosses boss.  Made him feel a little better.  Still tired of people getting paid to slack off and not make decisions and complete there tasks on time for tight deadlines that affect others work getting done.  Keep the chin up!  Retirement will come someday. 

There's an old saying that goes something like this: If you want to make sure something gets done, give it to someone who's really busy.

The only guy you have to answer to is the one in the mirror.

A thought. Could it be that nobody wants to take resposnsibily because of the ridiculous litigeous culture that has permeated society?

Iddy

It's something that seems to surround us anymore.  Even in the military you get folks slacking off (at least here at a geographically separated unit) and they can be ORDERED to perform and have severe consequences if they don't.  I sometimes wonder how Clark will survive in the civilian job market.

We have taught our kids from the time they were little that the first tenets of integrity start with the three 'R's :
Respect
Responsibilty
do whats Right.

Here's hoping it's gotten through :-/

Wish more adults could follow some of those tenets.

Cat

Quote:

Could it be that nobody wants to take resposnsibily because of the ridiculous litigeous culture that has permeated society?

That is my first thought Also.  That and pure laziness.

For 16 yrs. I cleaned houses to make a living.  Not the most glamerous job in the world, but it paid the bills.  When I got done doing a house, it was CLEAN and I was proud of the work I did.  Looking at what others in my field considered to be clean...appalled me.

Not many folks take pride in their work today, and that I don't have an answer.

   You don't ever want to skipper a ship. One of my proudest days was getting that Green and Black certificate that said I was a Master Mariner Open Ocean no restrictions. The last twenty years, I'm not so sure.
[smiley=smokin.gif]

So top it all off with the fact that if you are the one in the office that always goes above and beyond the call and are always the go to person for things to get done and the slacker in the office once in a blue moon does something you do all the time and gets praised for doing it when you don’t get as much as a pat on the back for doing the same thing every day. Unfortunately it is expectations, so when you set your own bar high then that is what is expected of you and if you slack off at all you get crap but at the same time you do not get praise and the slacker since he is not expected to do more gets left alone while doing far less and when they do a little extra but still not close to what you do gets praised like he saved a life or something. This can be very frustrating when the slacker is making the same money or close to the same as you are and you are doing twice the work and the expectations for you are twice what they are for him. Seems these days being a good hard worker does not always work out to be in your best interest but having a good work ethic is hard to ignore if you have it and you simply can’t help but do a good job and care about the quality of your work but the slacker is not afflicted with such things.
Done with my rant as you can tell I am afflicted with a good work ethic myself but finally found a job that appreciates it and I am a one man department so I do not have to deal with anyone not pulling there weight and expecting me to pick up the slack like I was in previous jobs.