The most obvious roles we have is as parents and offspring, as family members.  We also have roles within other relationships, such as friendships, work colleagues and group members. 

 

We also have roles within roles.  As a family member you are an offspring by birth, yet may have a sibling or cousin role, and may take on the parental role.  Still within our family roles we take on other roles.  We may have the role of domestic goddess or god, we may be the earner, the entertainer, only our imagination restricts the roles we take on from this perspective. 

 

Each Role has associated Responsibilities, the things that we are required to do within that role. As a parent we have the responsibility to care for our child, to look after them and guide them in the ways of life.  This is in fact the role of a leader.  We lead our children in life.  

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The absolutely wonderful thing about Roles these days is we have more power of choice in what Roles we take on and how we fulfil them than ever before.  As a society we are out growing designated Roles and Responsibilities.  Today we can choose our social groups, our occupational roles, and partners like never before.  Further we are able to define the boundaries and Responsibilities of those Role to fulfil our personal preferences and desires. 

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Relationships, wth the associated Roles and Responsibilities are well within our domain of choice, we have freedom never before seen.  Restricted only by our ability to create them. 

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And there in lays the issue for many of us. Too often we have no idea how to use this freedom successfully. 

 

At a foundational level many of us are unaware of the difference between Respectful and disrespectful practice within our Roles. 

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Are you ready to venture into the new territory of Roles and Responsibilities within your Relationships?

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Start your venture by exploring your current Roles and Responsibilities:

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1) What Roles and Responsibilities do you currently have? 

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List as many Roles as possible that you participate in now. 

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Do you want all of these Roles? Have some been imposed upon you? Are there Roles you would like to take on? Let go of? 

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2) What do you want out of your Relationships, your Roles.

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Write out as many of your expectations and Responsibilities that you can for each Role. 

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Ask other members of the relationships, those you interact with in each Role, 

what they perceive your Responsibilities to be?  Do they match with your thoughts?

  

Have any previously unidentified Responsibilities, or expectations, been revealed? 

What is the impact on this? Do you need to have discussion to clarify Role Responsibilities?  Doing this can make a huge difference to relationship satisfaction. 

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At a more foundational level, ask yourself do you want Respectful Relationships?

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Do you know what Respectful Relationships look like? 

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Check out Respectful Relationships for more insights.

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