The Power of Accountability: Creating a Blame-Free Workplace

Did you know - as humans, we aren’t to blame for blaming….!!

There's a biological aspect to our tendency to assign blame.

In a Harvard Business Review article back in 2022, on the subject, it states that findings from brain imaging research conducted at Duke University shed light on this phenomenon.

It appears that positive events are primarily handled by the prefrontal cortex, a region associated with complex thinking and deliberation. Consequently, it often leads to the interpretation that good outcomes are occur by chance.

Conversely, negative events activate the amygdala, which governs our instinctual fight-or-flight response. The amygdala swiftly jumps to the conclusion that unfavourable occurrences are deliberate, acting almost instantaneously. This rapid processing occurs so seamlessly that we might not even realize we're making assumptions; instead, we simply attribute blame to the person nearest to the issue.

The article also states blame and our ingrained ability to point the finger elsewhere, is also rooted in psychology. It is known as fundamental attribution bias.

In simple Mel-speak this is when someone makes a mistake, we might only think it's because they're not good enough. But we often forget that things like the environment or other people can also affect how they act

Avoiding blame culture build-up

But if we set out to build successful and sustainable businesses that will endure the test of time, accepting and encouraging blame within the organisation, will always undermine the best strategic roadmaps and visions.

In each business I work in, I place a major focus on accountability. It is a tried and tested concept that positively shifts business and organisations from A to B. It engages individuals and teams. Builds confidence and trust.

In my experience blame is the opposite of accountability.

I know, I have fallen foul to adopting blame as my go-to excuse on occasions.

But as the leader of the organisation or team, it is one of the most destructive behaviours you can enact.

Did you know?

For every ONE negative blame-biased comment you make?

You need to do at least FIVE positive statements to balance and build trust and respect again.

Authentic and genuine statements.

Not the type where you compliment a team member on an item of clothing that they have been wearing most days to work for the past 6 months!

So to sidestep spending hours building up your positive statements ratio, it is better to simply AVOID blame full-stop.

But how do you build accountability if you can’t tell people they have done something wrong?

Well this is where business leaders can get their knickers in a twist over attempting to build a non-blame culture.

Because the truth is problems, issues and errors arise every day.

Not all are major, but they happen. And if you ignore, you are sending out the wrong message to your team.

Moving from Blame to Accountability

To move from blaming someone for the problem to taking accountability and commiting to not repeating it, here is a good example of how you can address the mistake through the use of constructive feedback and open communication. Let's walk through it:

1.??? Private Conversation: I was always told – PRAISE IN PUBLIC, CRITICISE IN PRIVATE.

Have a private conversation with your employee to discuss the mistake / error / decision. This ensures that the feedback is given in a respectful and non-confrontational manner.

2.??? Focus on the Behavior, Not the Person: Instead of blaming the employee, focus on the specific behavior or action that led to the mistake. For example, say something like, "I noticed that there was an error in the report you submitted. Let's discuss what might have led to that."

3.??? Clarify Expectations: Remind your employee of the expectations and standards for their work. Emphasise that mistakes are a natural part of learning and growth but reinforce the importance of accuracy and attention to detail. Standards and Procedures exist for this very reason.

4.??? Encourage Ownership: Encourage the employee to take ownership of the mistake and to reflect on what went wrong. Ask open-ended questions like, "What do you think could have been done differently to prevent this mistake?"

5.??? Offer Support and Solutions: Offer support and guidance to help the employee rectify the mistake and prevent similar issues in the future. Collaborate on finding solutions together rather than assigning blame. I have found in the past that the root of the issue often lies elsewhere.

So tackling why your business didn’t win an order you thought you should have nailed, may end up highlighting issues with other departments the sales team was reliant upon to close the deal (late arrival of technical drawings for example). So be prepared to work through the issue until the root has been addressed.

6.??? Provide Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge any positive aspects of the employee's work and efforts, even in the midst of discussing a mistake. This helps maintain morale and encourages the employee to continue striving for improvement. If it is unusual however serious the issue may be don’t overlook all the other times they have got things right.

7.??? Follow Up: Schedule a follow-up meeting to check on the progress and provide further guidance if needed. This demonstrates that you are invested in the employee's growth and development.

The FOLLOW-UP is often where most busy bosses fall down on effectively handling performance improvement. You think you have sorted it, but you forget to make an appointment to follow-up. Time rolls on the issue often crops up again. Get the follow-up meeting in the diary at the time you tackle the issue.

By approaching the situation in a constructive and supportive manner, you can address the mistake effectively without placing blame on the employee.

This not only treats the employee with respect and consideration, but also sends out a very powerful message across the business too. Fostering a positive and encouraging work environment where employees feel empowered to learn from their mistakes and grow professionally, will reap the rewards in the days, months and years to come.

As with all these focus areas, it starts at the TOP.

It starts with YOU.

Let me know how you get on. Please share great examples of dealing with tricky situations.

Employment Law Update April 2024

Several bills received Royal Assent in 2023 and become live on April 6 2024. Please find our update we have prepared for our clients.

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Click here for Cloud-Busting Employment Law Update April 2024

Plate-Spinning Tips for April

• BBQ Season coming soon - Repack your handmade burgers from the butcher before you freeze them. We place each one in small freezer bags. Saves having to defrost them all when you only need a couple! And they defrost quicker!
• Ok - not sure if this works as I haven't tried this, but will.... use your old sandpaper discs (need to be wider than the base) and place under garden pots - apparently they deter slugs. Guess it is too scratchy!!

Thanks for reading.

Please feel free to share.

Have a productive month ahead! ??