Stop Playing the Blame Game

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Liability seems to be the first thing on any organization's mind when something goes wrong. A doctor can't admit to making a mistake. A teacher can't apologize for not seeing that a student was getting bullied. An employee whose mistake has caused a problem will seek to shift the blame onto another. Nobody wants to admit to a failing, lest they be seen as liable. It might mean losing their job, or it could mean being held financially accountable for any damages incurred.

The problem with all this denial and blame shifting is that we're focusing on the wrong thing: assigning blame. What we need to focus on is where things went wrong and why. Playing the blame game – trying to assign or shift blame instead of trying to look at how the problem could be fixed and prevented – is the most common barrier to any kind of troubleshooting or problem solving process.

Most often, even if the problem was created by human error, going over an incident can help to prevent it from happening again. If a group can speak openly and honestly about where things went wrong, without anyone worrying about the consequences of talking, the group can pinpoint key areas that need more attention. They can also brainstorm ways to prevent common errors being made in future.

Whenever you are addressing something that has gone wring – whether you are advocating for your child at school, or looking into an error made in your workplace – remember that the goal should be to prevent the problem recurring in future. Open, honest communication about what went wrong and where, is the best way to create strategies that will keep things running smoothly.



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