Sales are growing, salary is good, but turnover ratio is high. Internal reality is by no stretch of imagination. Investors know company management, but they don’t know human management so well. The stock up and down, quarterly financial report doesn’t tell them how the employees are satisfied/struggle with the company. One of the frustrations for employees is to be blamed by someone. How can we stop this negative cycle in the workplace?
Negative spiral __ Cause of blaming game
There are some backgrounds of blaming culture. One is escape. People tend to run away from negative situations, avoid being reprimanded when they face difficulty. The cause might be accidental mistakes, could be deficient business skills, interpersonal skills, or unexpected third factors. To hide the negative process and outcome, people blame others in order to protect their position, status, and fame. Blaming people tend to rely on others, excuse everything, not to think about impact on others.
Another cause is bullying. Most people have a tendency to be disturbed by negative reputation even though that is not fact. Dark side of the human heart is by no stretch of imagination. People protect themselves, devour rumours, blame others to avoid being exiled from the organization/society nevertheless next might be their turn.
Impact of blaming game at work
Typical example is company management. When the sales result was lower than the expectation, investors blame CEO, CEO blames directors, directors blame managers, manager blame each staff. As a result, the staff lost motivation and quit the company suddenly. Negative feelings and experiences are shared with others and spread above and beyond. Some staff remember the negative incidents and may aim revenge for this when they become executive.
Another example is blaming a person in a group. It looks like a public flogging of a mental version. A person points fingers and shifts the blame to someone. This behaviour disturbs members in the workplace. People don’t trust and distrust each other. At the end, anyone feels less like a team and leads to low productivity and employee wellbeing. Blaming games create a toxic workplace and company culture. Once it gets into the negative cycle, it’s not easy to recover to a healthy positive culture until an impactful incident happens.
People who are targeted in the blaming game will never forget the incident. People who blame someone forget it easily, people who were blamed by someone may forgive them but will remember it forever. In the worst case, it leads to crime. Blaming games damages many things and nothing creates positive things. Rather, root causes are taken over to the future. Examples of this negative cycle are shown in many occasions such as politics, geopolitics, company internal politics, even family and friendship. Therefore, we should treat others properly.
How to stop blaming game
Talk with the person who you blame and identify the cause. Some arguments may have occurred, however speak assertively and draw the line. Make them understand that you are tough. Cohesion with others who agree with you is important to solve the matter. Don’t blame others even though they made a mistake. Ask them the background, listen to the talking and try to understand their point. At the end, the right decision should be made based on company rule or law.
Some managers may think of hiring young and honest people who can be controlled easily without complaining in a blaming game. However, this is not solution for the root cause. Staff are not their slave, doll, or machine.
To sume up
People tell any lie to protect their status. But lying is not logical, and vain shows their stupidness. Blaming people are also being blamed by someone at the end.
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