[ Responsibility ]

An element of competence for those of us in knowledge work, particularly engineers, is the ability, and willingness, to take responsibility for our work. We should be able to acknowledge our role in decisions and actions (even if they prove to be incorrect).

Taking responsibility includes performing work in transparent and repeatable ways, so that it can be checked. It shouldn’t rely on black magic.

Responsibility also involves seeking inputs from peers and colleagues, and taking that feedback to make improvements to our work. The reverse is applicable too: providing constructive feedback to our colleagues is a responsibility as well.