I hope you found the exercise in the last blog useful.
I'd like you to think about the last time something went wrong at work, what's the first thing that happened? The person who found the mistake usually looks for someone to blame, right? In most places I have worked, this is the case.
Why is blame so prevalent in the work place? While there are many reasons, I have identified two common reasons: ego and culture. Blaming someone else, serves to protect the ego and self-esteem of the person doing the blaming. It makes them feel important. It is a form of self preservation. At times, it may be ingrained in the company culture, in some circles this is known as "the blame game." We also see instances of shifting the blame, where the blamed person then shifts the blame to someone else, this is indicative of a blame culture in an organisation. Blame is like a virus, once one person in your organisation does it, it will continue to spread, until you root it out.
In my experience, there is no positive outcome from blaming someone else, or being blamed for something. By blaming others you decrease your influence and the trust they have in you. You are more likely to have them acting defensively in order to protect themselves in this instance. It is destructive in any relationship.
How do we stop this destructive phenomenon?
· Don’t blame others for your mistakes - being a good leader requires one to be honest and humble
· If something has gone wrong, approach the situation in an empathetic manner, and turn it into a learning experience.
· Set an example by taking responsibility for your mistakes.
· Create a culture of trust where people come forward when they have made a mistake. Encourage people to take ownership of their mistakes.
· Always focus on learning/coaching.
· Reward mistakes - as long as they teach others and provide a learning experience for the person.
· Focus on the future, not the past.
· Spend time reflecting before you approach the person
o What could WE have done to prevent this?
o How can WE learn from this mistake?
o Are they aware of how the mistake was made?
o Encourage self-evaluation of the situation
o Be empathetic (Don't patronise, it is a form of bullying)
Lets take a look at 2 different scenarios
Scenario 1:
An invoicing error has been discovered, it shows that a client was undercharged by 33%. There could be two problems here. Either the wrong model was on the invoice or the wrong model was sent to the client. This was picked up in a stock take. The manager has a stern word with the person who dispatched the stock. Immediately they say that the wrong model was on the invoice and that it is someone else's fault. When the manager approaches the invoicing clerk, they shift the blame to a poor IT system. In the end, nothing gets resolved and no learning takes place. The next time this happens, the same blame is shifted and the same result occurs.
Scenario 2:
An invoicing error has been discovered, it shows that a client was charged undercharged by 33%. There could be two problems. Either the wrong model was on the invoice or the wrong model was sent to the client. This was picked up in a stock take. The manager approaches the dispatch clerk, and tells them what the stock take figures say. The manager asks the clerk what they think could have resulted in this problem. The clerk identifies three places the mistake could have occurred. They suggest some changes that could prevent this in the future. The manager looks at the suggestions and takes them to the invoicing clerk. They in turn agree that some of the suggestions would help, and make suggestions of their own. From a mistake, system changes are made (innovation) and the mistake is corrected.
If we analyse these two scenarios (which you may recognise form your own workplace); scenario 1 shows no learning, blame shifting and a culture of distrust and the combination of these is not indicative of an organisation that will thrive. There is no ownership of roles or mistakes and in places like this, staff do just enough to not get noticed (they fly below the radar). In Scenario 2, there is a culture of learning from mistakes and trust in each other that they can work on a problem together. Staff have the confidence to suggest changes that could improve workflow and a strong interdependent culture is present.
So, I'd like to challenge you to look at things differently over the next 2 weeks. If you come across a problem or a mistake, before approaching the person, take the time to analyse the mistake yourself and think of it as if you had made it. What lead to this? What could be done in the future to prevent this from happening? What possible knowledge gaps are present? In an ideal world, with no barriers, what would you be able to do to make this process perfect so that it doesn’t happen again? Now, go ask those questions to the person.
I hope you have great success with this approach, and wish you all the best for the new year.
Photo curtesy of @andreapiacquadio_
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