July 1
Reporting Back
We were trusted to make the arrangement, and we made it. Everything seems to have gone well. Now someone asks what we decided and why. Our first reaction is irritation. We thought they trusted us. Having to explain feels like being called before a committee, even though the question may be entirely ordinary.
Trust and reporting belong together. Concept III specifically preserves the responsibility to report significant actions; discretion is not a private territory beyond anyone else's concern. The people who entrusted us with a task remain connected to what happens. A clear account helps them understand the work and helps the next person who takes it on. We need not defend every detail as if an accusation had been made. There is a quieter way to stand behind a decision: describe what we did, share the reasons, and remain available for questions. Being answerable need not mean being under suspicion.
What makes an ordinary request for an account feel threatening to me?
An explanation belongs with the work.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Concepts for World Service, Concept III.