W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer in quality control, management and systems thinking, found that 93% of the time, problems in organizations can be traced to the design of systems, structures and processes. Only 7% of the time did people cause the problems and in about half of those cases, the issue could be rectified with additional training.
Much of what we identify as problems are really indicators or symptoms. They are the resultant effects of underlying causes. H. William Dettmer on root causes remarked: "Treating an undesirable effect alone is like putting a bandage on an infected wound: It does nothing about the underlying infection, so its remedial benefit is only temporary. Eventually the indicator resurfaces, because the underlying problem causing the indicator never really went away. Eliminating undesirable effects gives a false sense of security. Identifying and eliminating a critical root cause not only eliminates all of the undesirable effects that issue from it, but also prevents them from returning."
The blame game is so common, that it is unlikely a coach hasn’t run into it with a client at some point in their practice, regardless of the coaching specialty. So if the blame game is often unproductive, why do so many people engage in it? People engage in this behavior because it offers benefits – it provides a scapegoat, a quick fix and a deflection of responsibility. The blame game fits a common pattern seen over and over again called "Shifting The Burden".
In our inaugural webcast, we introduced systems thinking. A system is just an interdependent group of items forming a unified pattern. Basically, systems thinking involves seeing overall structures, patterns and cycles in systems, rather than only specific events. This broad view can help you to quickly identify the real causes of issues and know just where to work to address them. The internal structure of a system is generally more important than the events that generate the issue. An event orientation rarely gets you to the root cause of a problem. You generally find that one event is caused by another event, which is yet caused by another event and so forth.
A more productive approach is to look for patterns of behavior that characterize a particular situation. Amazingly, similar patterns of behavior show up in a variety of different situations and the underlying structures that cause these patterns are well known. These patterns of behavior are generally referred to as archetypes.
A “Shifting The Burden” archetype usually begins with a problem indicator that prompts someone to apply a "solution". The "solution" appears obvious and tends to relieve the problem indicator quickly, but in reality, just diverts attention away from the root cause of the problem. We can represent a "Shifting The Burden" archetype with the following diagram:
The diagram contains two loops – called balancing loops. In our inaugural webcast, we defined a balancing loop as any attempt to move some current state (the way things are) to some desired state (goal or objective) though some action (whatever is done to reach the goal). In a "Shifting The Burden" situation, the two balancing loops representing a different type of "fix" for the problem indicator. The upper loop represents a symptomatic "quick fix" and the bottom loop represents measures that take longer, may be more difficult, but ultimately address the root cause of the problem. The double line in the arc on the lower left represents a possible delay in seeing the result of the action taken.
The blame game is an example of a "Shifting The Burden" archetype. You experience a problem and search for the person to blame. Blame is the quick fix that diverts your attention away from long-term interpersonal or structural solutions. Blame provides some immediate relief and a sense of doing something; it can make us feel powerful and can keep us from examining our own role in a situation. Unfortunately, blame has undesirable side effects such as eroding communication, generating fear and destroying trust. In the long term, this reduces the flow of information about the current reality and hinders actual problem solving actions, which lead to more errors, which perpetuates the blame game.
What are the recommended responses for dealing with a "Shifting The Burden" archetype? There are three:
• Look for unintended consequences for actions thought to relieve problem symptoms.
• Look for the root causes that are really responsible for the issue.
• Take actions to resolve BOTH immediate pain (if appropriate) AND long-term root causes.
Let’s apply these recommendations to the blame game. The focus of blame is generally on the individual with punishment the usual intent and with the unintended consequence being cover-up, increased fear and reduced trust. A better response is accountability. Blame and accountability are vastly different. Blame means to find fault with whereas accountability means to be counted on. Accountability emphasizes keeping agreements and performing tasks as required. The focus of accountability is generally on the problem and not the person. The intent of accountability is generally performance and not punishment. When done right, accountability helps people become aware of their own mistakes and shortcomings so they can take ownership of them and use them as opportunities for learning and growth.
However, it is difficult to be accountable for something over which you have no control. Accountability is a contract to achieve measurable results, but an individual cannot keep their promise if circumstances beyond their control change. Consequently, holding people accountable must be done in the context of clearly defined outcomes adjusted regularly to reflect changing realities. When desired results are not achieved, one must concentrate on uncovering the root causes that are really responsible for the issue.
Comprehensive systems analysis is what is needed and that is a topic deserving of it’s own presentation. Briefly, systems analysis is an explicit formal inquiry carried out to help a decision-maker identify the appropriate course of action. It comprises both analysis and synthesis – breaking down a system to see its component parts and assembling the system to see how the parts interact and inter-relate. Systems analysis tells us why a process fails to achieve its intended objectives or produces a surprising result. Without addressing root causes, problems always recur. Systems analysis strives to uncover the root causes.
The hallmark of a systems problem is when you encounter a situation where continually replacing a position with different people results in the same behavior and failure to achieve the objectives desired. One should conclude that it is not a matter of finding the "right" person for the job, because the person is likely not the issue. A simpler way to look at this is to try and discern the forces that are acting on a person in a particular situation. How would a typical person respond under these conditions? If the expected response is not the desired response, you are now getting closer to uncovering the information you need to make the necessary adjustments.
This discussion is not meant to imply that all problems are system problems or that blame has no role to play in good management or everyday life. By understanding the difference between blame and accountability and understanding how the structure of a system can encourage undesired behaviors and interfere with achieving the outcomes sought, responses to issues can be much more nuanced and tailored to both the situation at hand and the needs of the individuals involved.
A presentation of this post can be found on our YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ufWZvn64M
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