The diffusion of responsibility is the act of failing to do something, believing that someone else will or already has. There have been studies done where subjects witness violence and fail to take action, believing someone else will or already has called 911, or intervened. They stand by and watch abuse and violence and fail to make any decisions to stop it because they are part of a crowd.
Waiting on someone else to make a decision won’t directly make your life any easier. As a matter of fact, waiting on someone else to make a decision can lead to you getting the worse end of the deal. People tend to do what is best for them, considering others but not putting their needs ahead of their own. Waiting on someone else to make a decision might lead to a worse situation than you would have had by taking the lead.
Here are some ways to take responsibility when decisions need to be made in a group setting.
Acknowledge the elephant in the room: Often, being in a group makes it easier to ignore really big issues. If there is no one directly responsible for an outcome or a situation, it is easy to slough off responsibility rather than take it. Being willing to acknowledge the issues will lead to resolution that you can be a part of rather than react to someone else’s solution that may not be ideal.
Take things personally: Part of the reason responsibility is successfully diffused is the lack of personal responsibility for the situation. Don’t wait for someone to assign the responsibility to you – take it. Consider the need at hand and be willing to lead and create a solution and make a decision that is right for the situation.
Imagine yourself in the situation: Nothing will make you take action more than being directly involved. If something is happening to you or someone you love, you’ll find a solution and make a decision. Because if you don’t… who will? Consider what you would do if the situation were happening to you and act accordingly.
There’s a danger in trying to make a decision in a crowd. Fanning out responsibility leaves no one in charge and can lead to big problems. Waiting on someone else to make a decision is wrong. If a decision needs to be made, take action and lead the way.
