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Why Taking Responsibility Was Worth Getting Fired
Responsible companies and people communicate, communicate, communicate. Both the good and the bad. Here’s a story about how I personally confronted the issue of taking responsibility in the workplace.
In the early 90s, I ran a division of a company that resold equipment for Toshiba. Toshiba created a major product improvement, and they wanted all of our users to have the upgrade without any additional fees.
Our new President, who started after we agreed to do the upgrade at no charge, wanted to reverse the decision.
“Krissi, this is easy revenue for us,” he said. I pushed back. “The former President and I committed to Toshiba that we would do it this way, which is also best for our customers.” The new President was furious. “Krissi, forget that agreement was ever made. Tell Toshiba you were drunk and don’t remember ever agreeing to it.”
He ordered the service department to charge for the add-on. When Toshiba learned this they were livid and their top executive flew over to the United States to address the issue. When the three of us met, the Japanese General Manager pleaded with me, “Krissi, you were there. Tell him!”
At that difficult moment, I said to my boss, “I remember it exactly as he says. We agreed to it.”
Two weeks later, I was looking for my next challenge. Yes, I got fired! But, there’s more to the story.
Eighteen months after that, Toshiba found another distributor. Shortly after that, my old company shriveled up and died. That new President who wanted me to lie? He bankrupted the company and eventually put 300 people out of work. My relationship with Toshiba remains strong to this day.
I know how difficult it may be to be responsible. We had just purchased a new home and my husband had a start-up company. I was the family’s financial rock and I had just gotten fired for telling the truth.
Though personally painful in the short run, it was the right thing to do. Responsibility always starts with you. You choose how you act.
When you and your company are responsible, you earn trust. Is there anything more important in any relationship both professionally and personally?
Low trust environments make everything about doing business more difficult. It leads to:
- Higher costs
- Lower brand value
- Difficulty retaining and attracting talent
- Unwanted regulation
Earning trust comes down to communication and responsibility:
- The number one thing is doing what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it.
- Tell the truth—not what people want to hear. Straight talk. Encourage people to speak truth to power and have courageous conversations. Reward people for their candor
- Practice having unpleasant conversations.
- Admit your mistakes and share information.
True responsibility means not just talking about what you’re going to do but taking action on it and being accountable for the results.
Want to hear more inspiring business stories paired with actionable advice? Learn more about my keynote speeches.