June 27
Which Decision Is Mine?
An unexpected problem comes up during a service commitment. We could handle part of it ourselves, but another part would change an agreement made by the whole group. It would be convenient to settle everything now. It would also be convenient to send the entire problem back and let someone else worry about it. Neither convenience tells us where our responsibility actually lies.
The Right of Decision includes judgment about when to act, when to consult, and when to ask for direction. Those are different uses of responsibility, not grades of courage. A capable trusted servant sometimes makes a prompt decision and sometimes recognizes that others must be involved. Knowing the limits of the assignment helps us do both without apology. We do not become more useful by handling matters that were never entrusted to us. Nor does referring every ordinary difficulty upward necessarily show humility. The particular facts deserve a particular judgment.
What belongs within my discretion here, and what requires someone else's participation?
Clarifying the assignment is part of doing it.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Concepts for World Service, Concept III.