The Negative Effects of Overfunctioning

Overfunctioning, where one person takes on an excessive amount of responsibility for another, actually leads to less responsibility on the part of the person being helped. This can be seen in various relationships, whether it's a family member, congregant, or team member. By overfunctioning, we inadvertently create dependency and hinder the growth of responsibility in others. Strategies like cajoling, overfunctioning, guilting, and scolding do not effectively increase responsibility and only shift the focus from the other person's lack of responsibility to our own reactivity.