Justin Waggoner, Ph.D., Beef Systems Specialist
“Responsibility and Accountability – Who Opens the Gate?”
All organizations and businesses regardless of size struggle with clearly defining responsibilities and accountability in one way or another. There is an old saying “when everybody is responsible, nobody is responsible.” The underlying theme of this saying is that expectations or responsibilities must be clearly defined and communicated to be effective. Effectively communicating responsibility involves the following: 1). Determining who is responsible, 2). What they are responsible for, and 3). Confirming that they are willing to accept the stated responsibility. Agriculture offers some great examples of responsibility and accountability. In the livestock sector, if you are riding in the passenger seat of vehicle as you approach a gate it is your responsibility to open the gate. One could debate if the responsibility is effectively communicated (sometimes non‐verbal). Whose responsibility is it close the gate? The same person who opened the gate. Should the gate not get closed, and the livestock escape who is accountable for not closing the gate? The person who opened it.
For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.
