Getting Rid of the Blame Culture

Blaming people is such a big part of our lives that we do it everywhere we go. Personally, I hate it. It is most evident when I play team sports and when we lose, the fingers start to rise and point to whomever is unlucky enough to be blamed. I hate losing, but what I hate more is being blamed for something I didn’t do. Playing team sports needs team effort, and blaming will not improve anybody’s skills or attitude.

Playing the blame game is so immature, but we still do it especially at work. Pointing a finger at someone is easier than being the one accountable for a mistake. But what we always disregard in this moment is that whenever we blame someone, growth is not achieved. When a blaming culture exists in your martial arts school, you must change it as soon as possible. Getting rid of the blame culture is not easy, but it is doable.

Look at the Mirror

I believe that deep down, everybody knows that it’s very immature to blame things on other people. But when happens, usually, the manager or the boss lets this happen. A worse scenario is that even the leader of the school participates in this kind of culture. As a martial arts master, avoid blaming others for your mistakes. Shifting a blame is a sign of cowardice, be a man and own it up. If you don’t have the balls to face the consequences, then you’re in no position to lead a martial arts school.

Be Clear on Rewards and Punishments

Whenever one of your team members makes a mistake, don’t be too harsh and punish the deed right away. Mistakes are good ways to learn and letting your employees make mistakes empowers them to take risks. You’re a businessman, you know what taking risks mean. Aside from reaping the benefits, this will also hamper the fear of mistakes, which will lessen the pointing of fingers. But be clear that mistakes of the same nature, when committed twice, should have consequences. Your staff should be also aware that there are rewards for people who are successful in taking risks.

Be Clear on Instructions and Deadlines

Deadlines are awesome. It’s a pressure point that tells us to do and create things in a certain amount of time. You may hate it, but for me, it pushes me to accomplish things. It is a reminder that I need to do what my boss tells me to do. And aside from the added time pressure, I am also reminded of the tasks of which I am assigned at. If I fail to these things, I have no one to blame except myself. Put this kind of thinking in your school and things will get done, they will be on time, and it will get rid of the blaming culture in your school.

It’s easy to blame other people for your mistakes, but the easy option is easy for a reason. It keeps you in your comfort zone and inhibits growth. So man up and be brave enough to face the consequences of your actions.