Transparency Is the First Step Towards Accountability
Who is to blame? And, who makes the bad decisions?
I’m sure you’ll be one of the first to hear about something going well. There’s usually no shortage of people taking ownership and credit for those decisions that turn out pretty good.
But, who makes the bad decisions?
The Truth About Bad Decisions
Who is to blame?
I bet you don’t know. Or, if you do, you keep quiet … unless it’s some joe who left a couple of months ago.
The truth about blame is this. Okay, please bear with me … it’s not easy being the whistleblower or sharing closely guarded corporate secrets.
So, I trust you appreciate my going out on a limb for you.
Here goes …
It’s them!
What? You want more? Okay, let me put this another way. In your business, who exactly does these things:
- Sets the vision for the future?
- Organises all those business initiatives ?
- Owns the business change project that’s going south?
- Hires all those highly paid consultants?
- Writes the business process manual or comes up with a new HR policy?
- Decides to restructure?
- Puts in the latest IT system?
It’s them. And, they’re the ones who take the blame when things go wrong. They are the ones who are responsible for everything and anything that goes wrong.
When something is unpopular, you can be sure they’re behind it. If the latest project is a disaster, you can be certain they did it.
It’s always them!
How to Stay Blameless
You’ve probably noticed how often they take the rap. How often they take the blame.
But, you don’t have to. No. You can lead a blameless and risk free life if you like.
All you need to do is this:
Don’t ask questions, don’t take ownership of anything, and don’t give an opinion.
If you do these simple things, you’ll be okay. You’ll have a simple, risk free, and blameless life.
And, if you want to spice things up from time-to-time, you can always start a little gossip or spread some negativity.
Leadership Accountability
Of course, there is a small price to pay … you’ll slowly but surely lose trust and create a culture where no one is accountable for anything.
Whatever your leadership position, transparency — honesty and openness — is the first step towards accountability.
Creative Commons image courtesy Open Knowledge Foundation.