Beware the blame throwers
When workplace cultures turn toxic, be on the lookout for those who throw blame around.
These individuals, who deflect responsibility and point the finger at colleagues for failures, are among the most destructive forces in any organisation's culture. They systematically undermine the psychological safety, collaboration and creativity that high-performing teams need to thrive.
Here's how ‘Blame Throwers’ kill vibrant culture killers:
They create fear: When people fear being thrown under the bus for mistakes, they stop taking risks. Innovation requires experimentation, but experimentation inherently involves failure. Blame Throwers push everyone toward extreme caution and mediocrity. Nobody wants to try new approaches when they know a colleague will be waiting to point the finger if things go wrong, especially if it’s a manager or senior leader.
They destroy trust: Trust is the cornerstone of effective teams and the performance that they generate. Blame Throwers shatter this foundation by creating environments where colleagues view each other as potential threats rather than allies. Without trust, collaboration becomes impossible, and information sharing grinds to a halt.
They waste valuable time and energy: Organisations wary of Blame Throwers spend enormous resources on defensive documentation, avoidance strategies, and office politics. Imagine redirecting that energy toward creating value! High-performing teams focus on solutions rather than scapegoats.
They prevent learning: When mistakes become opportunities for Blame Throwers to fire up rather than being learning opportunities, organisations remain stuck, and the culture stagnates. True growth requires an honest examination of what went wrong without fear of persecution or shame. Blame Throwers make this impossible by turning failures into witch hunts.
They abdicate responsibility: Perhaps most concerning, Blame Throwers undermine the very concept of leadership. True leadership means taking ownership of both successes and failures. Those who blame others signal their unwillingness to embrace the accountability that drives excellence.
Leaders can rid themselves of Blame Throwers by actively dismantling these toxic dynamics:
Model accountability by openly acknowledging your own mistakes
Implement blameless post-mortems that focus on improvement
Celebrate teams that embrace collective responsibility
Address consistent Blame Throwing behaviours directly through coaching
Reward solution-focused responses to challenges
Organisations with vibrant cultures understand that true excellence emerges when people feel safe, including their mistakes and vulnerabilities. This requires creating cultures where collective ownership - not apportioning blame - becomes the default response to challenges.
There’s no middle ground. Either your organisation embraces a culture of accountability or allows itself to succumb to the Blame Throwers. Which culture are you fostering?
