When is a Blame Not a Blame
TL;DR : When you take responsibility
Moving forward and improving cannot happen in a culture driven by fear or avoidance of responsibility. When pinpointing the root cause of a problem, the focus should always be on the problem itself, not on individuals who may be involved.
Solving the problem requires appreciation for everyone’s efforts and reassurance that responsibility is collective. Problems are like dominos; there’s often an innocuous starting point that may not initially appear as the root cause without thorough investigation.
The fear of blame is a reality in some company cultures, to the extent that even peer feedback can be misconstrued as blame. However, there should be no blame among equals who do not share the same responsibilities; instead, there should be a shared commitment to improvement.
Taking responsibility can be daunting. Personally, I find myself taking responsibility more often than assigning blame. Embracing accountability helps me learn from mistakes and grow. However, when asked to take responsibility, people often perceive it as blame. Tools like “git blame” do not help this perception. The focus should be on improvement and collective responsibility, not on singling out individuals.
Citing reasons for delays, such as “Team A was unable to meet the pre-agreed timeline,” is not assigning blame but stating a fact. How Team A responds to this statement matters. They can react defensively or use it as an opportunity for introspection and improvement. The culture within Team A plays a crucial role here; it should encourage growth rather than public humiliation.
Conducting retrospectives is vital. They should not assign blame but facilitate understanding of how things could have been done better. However, if individuals are defensive and unwilling to accept feedback, progress becomes challenging.
Leaders should not fear asking people to take responsibility. With greater responsibility comes greater ownership. A good leader shares both wins and losses with the team. Accepting failure as a leader encourages the team to do the same, fostering a culture of collective progress.
Blame occurs for two reasons:
- When the blamer could have done the task but blames someone else for their inability to do so.
- When the blamed person is solely responsible for the task.
Ownership is clear-cut; introducing ambiguity is a mistake. Either own something fully or not at all. Giving teams end-to-end responsibility is crucial for success.
In conclusion, as the saying goes, “We ride together, we die together.”
