Duty – Beyond A Job Description
Ask a veteran why they served and you will likely hear the word Duty in the explanation. The concept of Duty still runs deep in military circles.
Many people use the word Duty to describe the list of tasks in a job description. But the idea of Duty goes well beyond a “to do list.” Duty seems to be a forgotten principle outside the military. The concept of Duty needs a revival.
There is more to it than this!
Duty – Honor – Country. West Point’s motto is made of three words. Duty leads off and is perhaps the least understood or discussed in the non-military setting. Duty goes well beyond a formal “to do list” or a verbalized set of expectations.
Defining Duty
The concept of Duty relates to a moral obligation. When I looked up Miriam Webster’s dictionary definition, it was defined as a “moral or legal obligation”.
I am going to focus on our moral obligations and the concept of Duty. I do believe that some of us will run into a situation where our moral obligations conflict with our legal obligations.
For some in religiously oppressive countries, this conflict is a regular occurrence. I pray for courage for those people as they face these challenges. I also am thankful that religious freedom is still a concept that my country espouses.
But for this discussion, the concept of Duty relates to our moral obligations.
Duty Is Not Position Specific
We all have moral obligations in life. Senior leadership, middle management and frontline workers should all understand they have certain moral obligations.
We may have a different list of tasks in our job descriptions, but we all have moral obligations within those positions.
Husbands and wives, fathers and mothers also have moral obligations. Just like in the workplace, these obligations may not be spelled out by law or even specifically voiced by another person, but they are still moral obligations.
Duty Is Not Feeling Dependent
Whether I follow through on my moral obligations should not be dependent on how I feel about that obligation. Following through should not be dependent on how I feel emotionally at that particular moment, either.
Some people call this attitude being Duty Bound. It is a great concept we all need to adopt.
Being Duty Bound means:
I am tied to my moral obligations and cannot get away from them.
Five Duty Challenges
Here is a short list of challenges some of us may face. When we face them, we have a choice:
Will I do my Duty or not?
- Staying late at work to finish a report a co-worker left partially completed because I believe it is My Duty to insure our team completes our work on time.
- Leaving late to work in order to help my wife get two upset children ready for school because I believe it is My Duty to serve my spouse and my family even when it is inconvenient.
- Firing a high performing team member when I realize he is a selfish and demeans others on the team because I believe it is My Duty to do more than just generate business for my company. My Duty is also to the people I lead to create the best work environment possible for them.
- Confronting my boss about issues she has created within the team that others are scared to voice because I believe it is My Duty to both my teammates and to my boss to do everything I can to improve the situation.
- Stopping on the way home from work to help a stranger change a flat tire because I believe it is My Duty to lend a helping hand to another human being even if I don’t know them personally.
None of the Duty Challenges above show up on a job description or a list of tasks that prescribe what we have to do in life. None of them are things most of us find fun or convenient to do, either.
Maybe that is why we need to re-invigorate the concept of Duty in our own lives and the lives of the people we have influence over. Somebody needs to remind people what Duty is and how it works.
The Bottom Line:
Too many people believe that as long as they complete the tasks that are required or specifically described by a boss, by a spouse or by a law, that they are doing enough.
- Perhaps that is why we have so many people who only do the minimum required.
- Perhaps that is why we have so many companies that never go beyond mediocrity.
- Perhaps that is why we have so many marriages that are at the brink of failure.
- Perhaps that is why we have a society that is self-absorbed and ignores the plight of the less fortunate.
We need to revive a sense of Duty. To do that in my sphere of influence, I must be Duty Bound myself. Only then can I influence my family and the people I work with towards the same level of moral obligation that drives me to do my Duty.
Remember, that Duty is what drives many of our heroes who have served our country. They were just doing their Duty….
Question:
What is the first thing you can do to be Duty Bound?
One thing that always strikes me about duty, and I think you nailed it, is that it doesn’t boast, self-promote, politicize, go with the prevailing wind, or display excitement. But rather is solemn, introspective, restrained, and matter of fact.
Martin Luther stated it this way: “I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”
The Founding Fathers stated it this way when they declared independence: “We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare…the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
John Stuart Mill described his view of duty thus: “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things, the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth a war, is much worse…A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” Interestingly he also touched on what we are seeing in our society that has lost sight of the concept of duty.
Great post.
I love the quotes you included here Eric. Amen!
Dave, A very thought provoking post and an issue that has frustrated me in the corporate world as I try to live my life by “Duty – Honor – Country”. I realize this is a generalization and likely unfair to some, as well as possessing the possibility of coming across as holier than thou, but the typical corporate lemming will never understand “duty”. In many cases their only “obligation” is keeping their job. And by the way, while I agree with your numbers 3 & 4 above, they WILL get you fired by bosses and organizations that don’t care much for Duty. Hermann Hesse highlighted the problem very well: “People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest.” What is the first thing you can do to be Duty Bound? For me that is easy; be myself. To be successful, or at least not to continually swim against the tide, one must find an organization that has the same respect for Duty. Or, like I have done, you focus on Strength of Character and develop leadership classes around it for your organization. Thanks again for a great topic.
Agreed 3 & 4 may get you fired. But as you said, if that happens then why would I want to work there?
Duty does include doing the right thing even if it might hurt me personally- being fired included.
Excellent !!
The challenge is to instil these values beyond the military. In global leaders for achieving the Millennium Development Goals; in nation building; in the finances driven corporate world; in middle and lower level functionaries; in the service providers; in the front desks of every office.
It boils down to a question of modifying the value system (the culture) of a target audience. This requires outstanding and sustained leadership and the nurturing of an enabling environment. I am seeing this attempt, vibrant and on the right track so far, in India under its new Prime Minister. I am reminded of the transition in Singapore under Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Thank you sir for the great examples from your country. I pray your new leadership has lasting impact on the value of duty.
Generally speaking, I really like these posts and agree with much of what is articulated. In this instance, however, I have to agree with much of what Hank stated above. Trying to incorporate concepts such as duty into working for a profit making company in Corporate America is challenging. After all, most profit-making companies regard their duty of creating wealth for their shareholders (and themselves) as paramount. So the overwhelming majority of employee behavior is driven by self-interest. #2 could also get your fired – you have a duty to be at work on time. #3 demeaning team members is very interpretable – overly sensitive folks, for example, will feel that they are being demeaned every time they produce something that is not up to par. #4 in most organizations, especially the military and government, the boss is never wrong – and everyone acts to protect the boss. As I write this, I am going through an investigation that done on several retired military LTC’s and COL’s who worked for the VA. Every single one of them lied about facts that were pertinent and material to the case! I am consistently amazed at how irrelevant ethics and duty are not only in Corporate America but also Government and the military.
We must be careful in simplifying this discussion to be about Corporate America, the government and the military because inside all these institutions there are people who are duty bound to the right things. I agree it is discouraging when the examples of the negative are heard over the positives.
Again the concept of duty does have a selfless core to it. Duty often entails doing things that will not benefit me just because it is the RIGHT THING TO DO. It is a very high concept – but one we should all aspire to.
Dave,
This is a real interesting and challenging article especially with some of the things going on internationally. It conjures up a lot of questions. For example, is it our duty to send troops to Liberia to fight Ebola? Is it our duty to rescue embassy personnel under fire? Is it our duty to open our borders like a Saturday morning all-comers track meet? Is it our duty to pay taxes for services and practices that are immoral? Similiar to your illustration about the ongoing VA investigation, how does one balance doing my duty in an organization led by an unethical leader who is committing adultery and promoting an unethical culture? Is morality relative? If it is, then is duty relative? Many seem to think it is. I do not, so I appreciated your stance that there are high moral obligations with regard to duty and being duty-bound.
I think from a Christian perspective it is important to do everything (home, work, military service, corporate world, paying taxes, loving your neighbor) as unto the Lord – or as the Ranger Creed states 100% and then some. This is something I was taught as a kid in the Scouts and it has stuck with me – “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my Country and to obey the Scout Law, To Help Other People at all times. To keep myself physically strong, mentally alert and morally straight.”
Thanks for your article and great discussion.
v/r
Troy
You list a lot of questions Troy and they are all food for thought about duty.
I believe what you believe about one moral standard. The scope of this blog was to address the topic of duty from an individual point of you not at a public policy level. But your questions are good ones to consider.
I love the reference to the Scout motto too!
Dave,
I work for a company with a long history. Many of those on my team have 40+ years here. They have a very high sense of duty and will ensure things get done at great personal sacrifice.
The problem we are facing is that we have had multiple staff reductions over the past 2 years. The company’s “duty” to keep them employed with insurance is now in question. I see the individuals duty in relation to company work on a downward path. It may be general decline in moral, of course, but it seems to favor the idea of duty being replaced with self preservation.
Home and country (military) examples rarely have that element. Military folks always know they have their love of country and freedom. Family is family.
I guess my point is that maybe the element of doing your duty needs to be a reciprocal feeling instead of simply doing your best because that is what you do.
Take care. I enjoy reading your blog.
Joel Gray
USMA ’92
If it is reciprocal or if you are surrounded by others who are duty bound, doing my duty is easier.
In the case of a company that has lost it’s way, then perhaps I need to look at where I have a higher sense responsibility. If the workplace has become bad enough, it will effect home and my family. Then perhaps it will be necessary to find another company.
Thanks also for the kind words and checking in regularly!
For “Duty,” Millennials Are Much Different Than Boomers–So You Must Apply The Judo Principle(tm)To Win
The “why” has been revealed in provocative Neuroscience findings in the book “Primordial Leadership” (at http://www.primordialleader.com and Amazon and Barnes & Noble). Absent a severe crisis that changes Millennials’ nature, you have to leverage what motivates them if not the same “Duty” standard.
(“The author makes a comprehensive distinction between good managers and leaders, and offers a detailed explanation for the effective behaviors of both, clearly illustrating that not all good managers make good leaders, and vice-versa. ‘Primordial Leadership’ is the first valuable overview of effective leadership since Jim Collins first published ‘Level 5 Leadership’ in the Harvard Business Review 15 years ago. Bravo!”—Sam Yates, CEO)
Per Drucker’s quote that a leader gets results, figuring out how to “unleash the Beast” of Millennials’ unequaled intelligence, education, creativity and energy is the opportunity and challenge. It can be done. Millennials’ motivations can be “Judo-leveraged” once understood and applied. But, hope alone is not a strategy.
Larry Duckworth, 404-307-0033, http://www.primordialleader.com