Stop Placing Blame

Have you ever positioned yourself in a positive light while delivering difficult news or information at the expense of another colleague or department? Has a coworker ever done this to you? Placing blame in the workplace can subconsciously erode the organization’s culture. It can create lose-lose scenarios for all the individuals involved. However, when modeling positive and respectful communication instead of placing blame, you can set an example and expectation for how to interact in your organization. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher shares how you can stop placing blame in your organization with key tips and examples of alternative, positive communication approaches, and she explains how this can help reinforce a positive culture and help you be your best at work.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How can we/they statements promote placing blame in the workplace and harm the workplace culture, and how do I steer away from that form of communication?
• Why is it important to focus on factors I can control and ways I can assist others instead of placing blame?
• What responses can I give without using we/they communication?

Recommended Resources: Eliminate We/They, Replace We/They With Ownership And Practice, Be an Owner, & Why It's Important to be an Owner of Your Work