Do you work in a blame culture? The hallmark is a sense of defensive tension over being judged as “wrong” or having screwed up. It may not involve shouting or explicit shaming, but it seems as though whenever something doesn’t go right, blame has to be pinned to an individual or a group. As a result, people keep their heads down or are on guard to avoid being the target.

A pervasive blame culture stifles learning, healthy risk taking, and professional development. It breeds mistrust and withholding, and the best workers tend to leave when they get the opportunity. An unfortunate aspect of toxic workplace culture is that it tends to be self-perpetuating; unlikely to change without new leadership or some kind of explicit intervention.

If you find yourself in a blame culture and are not the leader, what can you do as an individual? It’s unlikely that you alone can right the collective dynamics, but you can take steps for your personal benefit and contribute to the workplace culture in healthier ways.

What do people get from a blame culture? What needs are met, or what functions does blame serve? Possibilities include the ability to direct attention away from themselves and their own performance. There is also a sense of self-righteousness in judging others as having messed up, so in a twisted way the person casting blame may feel better........

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