Many years ago, someone I knew changed lanes on the highway when the traffic ahead slowed suddenly. He then ran into the back of a car in the other lane. When he recounted the incident to me, he said it was not his fault.
He became angry with me when I pointed out that he shared some of the blame. I tried to convince him that he had to take some of the blame simply because of his presence. It might not surprise you that he did not appreciate my point of view,
- “There is no blame.”
We tend to blame outside influences. “Systems thinking shows us that there is no outside; that you and the cause of your problems are part of a single system. The cure lies in your relationship with your ‘enemy.’” (Senge page 67.) Don’t blame the people when they do the best they can within the system in which they operate.
When you encounter a surly government employee, remember they work for a system that does not recognize you as the customer. They owe their allegiance to other bureaucrats and politicians, not to you. You do not influence a system that you do not pay directly.
Comments
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (This quote has been attributed to many men.)
Do not try to absolve yourself of errors made by a system in which you play a part. Ask yourself, “what could I have done?” If you have no answer, don’t blame others.
The renowned business consultant W. Edwards Deming addressed the same subject by distinguishing between special causes and common causes. Common causes result from the structure of the system. Special causes result from actions outside the system. When errors have a common cause, don’t blame individuals who follow the design of the system.
Deming also pointed out that a person should not treat special causes as common causes. If one person makes many errors due to poor vision, it makes little sense to require everyone in the system to wear the same corrective lenses.
Be careful when you caste blame on someone in the same system in which you play a part.
Conclusion
As a worker, don’t blame a fellow worker operating in the same system to which you belong. As a manager, don’t blame a worker doing his best in a system you designed.