I was talking to a business leader recently about working with teams and people taking responsibility. She highlighted the incidence of blame and felt it was simply a result of people not wanting to take responsibility for the actions or mistakes.
Is it simply that or is it fear based as well? There is so much talk about “these uncertain times” right now, and many businesses are feeling disjointed with the physical distancing for employees, however I’m wondering if that an excuse, a reason, a symptom or even a result of what is happening.
Of course responsibility and accountability are important issues and should be part of the team values but getting into the blame game is an unnecessary minefield.
Who do you blame when something goes wrong? When to you choose to blame rather than confer and discuss? Why do you choose to blame and what does that get for you? Interesting.
Blame is a waste of time, it can be demeaning, derisive and totally unproductive. Look to the cause – the real cause and work out what happened and why, and how you can reduce or eliminate the risk of repeating the mistake. Who is responsible for ensuring that the person who made the mistake was trained and advised correctly?
Is the communication effective and productive?
What would a good leader do?
“What is another way I can think about that…?” or “What is another way I can do that to achieve a better result?” These are both proactive questions which will give you a more positive outcome.
The blame game shouldn’t be left in the playground – it shouldn’t be there in the first place. What game are you playing?
