BEM Readers,

Welcome on a rather sad Sunday for Poland.

With all the events between Poland and Russia around us, I would like you to look at a common problem in all areas of life, especially in business – blame.

„The Blame Game” – is the act of flipping the question: „Who is responsible for…”

Leaving politics behind and focusing on business, blame is a common tool for every employee from the assistant: „I did not know it was supposed to be done this way…”, to the top management: „We were informed so by the government/ministry…”. So, is there a right or wrong answer for who is to blame for a crisis; faulty product or service ? That depends on many factors.

Take this sitation for an example: it is a zero-sum game when you are just starting out at an IT/software company and you mess up a formula or press the wrong button. You get the blame. But should you really? Is it you who pressed the wrong key combination or your supervisor who did not tell you what the appropriate way is? His response would probably be: „Well you could’ve asked me…”, right?

Blame is a psychological reflection of our self-image. If you think of yourself in a healthy way i.e. „I am a valuable person with some flaws…” than it’s easier to say „Yes, it was totally my fault, sorry.” However, most of us have a different type of mirror. There are no flaws! „It was obviously not my fault, I have been with this company for 15 years! The blame is definitely on the side of the trainee. He just did not ask me for the right key combination!”

Ben Dattner, author of „The Blame Game”explores this field to get to the core of the problem.

Ben’s book talks about how our personality, background and values affect what he calls „the blame game” – taking or pointing out blame to others.

Dattner explains: „In the short-term It is very tempting to blame other people when things go wrong, when a failure occurs, when a mistake is made, but unfortunately the blame game can be quite dysfunctional for individuals and organizations because it slows down or prevents learning. If your default reaction is to blame other people it is unlikely that you are going to have a nuanced understanding of all the complex factors that acutally determine organizational outcomes.”

So, to recap: Our above example of a new employee vs. supervisor reflects the problem of the blame game. In the short-term the supervisor feels much more comfortable by pointing the blame to the new hire, while he steps out of the picture. On the other hand by answering: „Yes, I admit it, I could have instructed him better in asking questions when necessary…” would affect the organizational policies & procedures and minimalize such situations in the future.

Yet it is so hard to admit failure and take the blame, especially as a Pole. Poland has an issue in the fact that it has been in the middle of political/culutral turmoil for centuries, hence its citizens suffer from „the blame game” and we could point out countless examples in business, politics, education, law, the health sector and sport industry.

We won’t change the country’s attitude and mentality by just reading a blog or a book on blame, but we can allow ourselves to understand our individual approach to „the blame game” and try to work on it when the next situation comes up.

There are 11 personalities with blame issues that Ben Dattner has distinguished, that fall into 3 categories:

1. „Blames Others”

2. „Denies Blame”

3. „Blames Oneself”

Check which one is yours and think twice whether you want to stay in that type

Listen to the full interview with Ben Dattner on the HBR’s blog.

Have a blame-healthy week.

Krzysztof „Chris” Dargiewicz

USEFUL VOCABULARY:

1.  common – powszechny

2. blame – wina, winić

3.  to flip a question – odwrócić pytanie

4.  to leave something behind – zostawić coś za sobą; zmienić temat

5.  faulty – wadliwy; zepsuty

6.  factor – czynnik

7.  zero-sum game – gra o sumie zerowej; prosty rachunek

8.  to start out – zaczynać (pracę lub firmę)

9.  self-image – obraz samego siebie; autopercepcja

10.  flaws – wady

11.  trainee – praktykant; stażysta

12.  core of the problem – źródło problemu

13. to point out – wytykać; wskazywać

14.  in the short-term – krótkoterminowo; „na krótką metę”

15.  to arise -pojawiać się; wznosić

16.  dysfunctional – zaburzony; patologiczny

17.  to prevent – zapobiec; wstrzymać

18.  unlikely – mało prawdopodobny

19.  nuances – niuanse; odcienie

20.  complex – złożony; skomplikowany

21.  to determine – ustalić; ustanowić

22.  to recap – podsumować

23.  to reflect – odbijać; ukazywać

24.  new hire – stażysta; nowy pracownik

25.  to instruct someone on – poinstruować kogoś

26.  turmoil – chaos; wrzawa

Tagi: autopercepcja, blame, failure, percepcja, samoocena, self image, self management, self-esteem, wina

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