The Blame Game
Blame. Scapegoat. Fault. When something goes wrong, our initial reaction tends to be “Whose fault is it?”. You immediately think “Was it me?” “Was it my team?”, Then your next thought is “How did this happen?”,
Where does that burning need to place the blame come from? Does it somehow make the problem better? Does knowing that it was or wasn’t us make a difference? When you take ownership of a mistake, it can make you appear accountable and courageous. However, if you as a leader are constantly falling on your sword and taking blame are you really helping? Maybe you want to protect your team, assuming that you taking the fall won’t bring the same repercussions or maybe you think your team will like you more if you cover for them. In reality you are doing them and yourself a disservice. Taking the blame when it is your fault is the right thing to do. Finding out what went wrong and getting to the root cause so it doesn’t happen again is the responsible thing to do. We should learn from our mistakes and experiences so we do not repeat them. That is part of growing and getting better. Whether is was an error on a report or the way you handled a conversation with a team member, there is always something to learn. When you protect your team too much and cover their mistakes, not only are you putting yourself in the crossfire which will eventually catch up to you, but you are robbing your team members of the learning experience. You are teaching them they don’t have to be accountable and there are no consequences for their actions. This results in repeat mistakes making them and you look bad. It creates an environment where “blame” becomes a gut reaction and everyone is quick to claim “It wasn’t me!”.
Instead of coming to the rescue every time something happens, take a step back and really look at the situation. What was the issue? Who was involved? What led up to the problem? It could be training, easily fixable. It could be a misunderstanding. It could be a communication issue. Once you have determined the who, what and why, then it’s time to take action. Have a seek to understand with those involved. Then address the issue, why the task is important, any downstream effects it may have and then discussion how you fix it and move forward. Being genuine and upfront makes these types of conversations less painful for everyone involved and when you take an approach of understanding and care, they are less likely to become defensive or try to deflect blame. As a leader it is your job to help your teamwork through mistakes and tough times and give them the tools to move forward. Leadership is a privilege, treat it that way.
