Ending the Blame Game
by John Ruh
Does this sound familiar?
You ask an employee, “What’s the problem regarding your performance?”
The employee answers:
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If this conversation sounds like it might have taken place in your company, then you might be infected with a potentially fatal disease we call “The Itsies,” and it can put you out of business.
It’s a commonly accepted principle that businesses will only achieve peak performance when their people take full responsibility for their actions, but few companies state this as a core value, nor do they do any training or coaching on exactly what this means in terms of acceptable behavior.
Test yourself for the “Itsies” – Do the people in our company:
| YES | NO | |
| £ | £ | Have an “It’s somebody else’s fault” mentality? |
| £ | £ | Look for excuses instead of taking responsibility? |
| £ | £ | Make a complaint rather than offer a solution? |
If you answered YES to any of the 3 questions above, you may have the “Itsies”. Understand this disease will kill your chances for company success because when no one takes responsibility, nothing much happens.
John Ruh is a business consultant and the founder of 4 companies. You can reach him at 773-775-6636 or Email: jmruh@comcast.net