Blame Game 101
In society today it has become fashionable, and sadly an acceptable practice, for people in all walks of life to avoid responsibility and accountability and play the “Blame Game.” Leading the way in this tragic trend are our elected leaders from the national level on down to local leadership. Unfortunately the same can be said of those in the financial, sports, and entertainment fields as well. The news is replete with stories of an unfortunate outcome from decisions made and those that made the decision placing the blame elsewhere.
President Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk that read, 1“The Buck Stops Here” but in today’s
world the “buck” doesn’t stop anywhere. Our current President is still blaming the former President for the economy mess we are experiencing even though he has been in office over 2 years. The Democrats blame the Republicans for budget wows and the Republicans blame the Democrats. The government blames the financial sector for the housing crisis and families wanting homes blame the banks for tight financial restrictions.
Sports figures prominently display a lack of accountability and integrity. Serena Williams berating and threatening tennis judges, Barry Bonds and Roger Clements blaming others for allegedly giving to them banned substances and as well-known figures their public example of “Passing the Buck” to others can be contagious to those in society.
What about your organization? Do you have a culture of blaming others when mistakes happen? This type of culture is harmful to the health and prosperity of your entire organization. Nathanael Fast is an assistant professor of Management and Organization at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and has said;
2 “A deep set of research shows that people who blame others for their mistakes lose status, learn less, and perform worse relative to those who own up to their mistakes. Research also shows that the same applies for organizations. Groups and organizations with a rampant culture of blame have a serious disadvantage when it comes to creativity, learning, innovation, and productive risk-taking.”
How can your organization avoid the blame game culture? Following simple steps can help to strengthen positive and productive results in your organization.
First, make certain that each person understands their role and job description and hold them accountable in their area of responsibility. Accountability should not conjure up a negative image in employee’s minds. Verbal and written praise is as important as counseling when something goes amiss. Credit should be given when credit is due for a task well done.
Second, when talking about a mistake do not attack the person and make it personal. As Nathanael Fast indicates, this will become a negative and hurt creativity and learning. A frank, open, and honest discussion on what happened and the steps that can, or should, be taken to correct the problem or mistake will assist the person in learning and growing in their roles. This is an excellent teaching opportunity which can pay dividends down the road.
Third, do not under any circumstance accept someone passing the buck. Establish a culture that is positive-oriented, keep employee’s happy rather than causing distress when mistakes happen. Productivity should be a priority rather than dwelling on the mistake. Handle it quickly but keep focused on moving forward in a positive productive manner.
Following a few basic principles and bringing back accountability, responsibility, and integrity in your organization will pay big dividends with happy employees who will take risks, be productive and creative, and be a benefit to your organization.
1 Picture from*Mitford M. Mathews, ed., A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles (Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1951), I, pages 198-199.
2 How to Stop the Blame Game, Harvard Business Review Blog Network Thursday May 13, 2010.