When something goes wrong, our tendency is often to blame a person--another staff member, a leader, a volunteer, or even ourselves. However, a problem is usually not the fault of a person, but a system. Here are four things to look at first, before blaming a person:
1. Was the design of the system flawed?
2. Was the communication of the system unclear?
3. Was training of the system inadequate?
4. Was the leader's inspection and on-going audit of the system sloppy?
Only after answering "NO" to all of these questions can we place the responsibility on the person. And even then, we need to be able to recognize if we have a person in the wrong seat.
Sometimes in order to find the answer, a leader must have "skip-level sessions". This is where a leader asks a question of someone who is not a direct report to them in order to find out what is going on. Whenever this is used, we must engage to assess the situation, and then be sure to point the person back to their leader and not try to fix the situation for that person.
The best question to ask a team member when trying to resolve a problem is "How can WE make this better?" This question dis-arms the person and usually diffuses any defensiveness. People always want to be part of positive changes, and when they get to be a part of the change, they will own the system even more.
