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Autumn 2004
The Dog Did Not Eat Your Homework
Most of us can easily picture one or more colleagues or employees who seem to have an excuse for everything. These folks are, in their own eyes, innocent bystanders to every problem. In some organizations, fingers point in a round robin of blame and the buck stops nowhere. Frustrated leaders ask, "How do I get my employees to take responsibility?"
This is a legitimate leadership question. The answer consists of the following steps:
1. Look in a mirror and ask yourself the following question: "What did I do to contribute to the problem?"
2. Search your conscience, your memory and reality until you find your contribution.
3. Prepare to acknowledge your contribution to the person or group of people involved in the problem or issue
4. Consistently practice steps 1 through 3
This may sound a bit like blaming the leader-it isn't. Employees are still responsible for their contribution. In this model, the leader is role modeling accepting responsibility.
Leaders interacting with employees need to be vigilant on responsibility. Employees who behave responsibly should receive positive feedback and those employees who under-perform and blame others should be held accountable for changing those behaviors. Both positive feedback and an accountability process with underperformers must be visible to people in the organization. Responsibility must be a visible way of life.
Organizational systems can also contribute to a culture of blame. Some organizational systems cause fear. Fear of punishment is what may cause otherwise responsible people to lie or blame. Causes of fear can include leadership silence during times of change, abrasive behavior from one or more leaders, and perceived shortage of resources-including customers. Driving Fear out of the Workplace by Ryan and Oestreich is an excellent resource for organizations experiencing the negative effects of fear. This book details the causes of fear in organizations and talks about positive step to reduce fear and the destructive behaviors, like blaming, that result from fear.
When leaders, employees and systems support accountability, it will be like the kid who recklessly toppled her tricycle and skidded down the driveway. When a neighbor asked how she got the scrapes and bruises, she said, "From the driveway." "Was it asphalt?" the neighbor asked. Rolling her eyes, the kid replied, "No, it MY fault."
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