Nothing infuriates me more than when managers blame employees for issues. It is too easy for managers to blame their employees when things go wrong. With each rung of the ladder they climb, they are less likely to accept responsibility. When managers deal with safety, turnover, engagement, and performance issues, they point directly to the employees as the problem. However, this is a mistake.
If there is a problem with the employees not performing, high turnover, or low engagement, the manager is the problem. As formal authority leaders, you are responsible for what’s going on within your team. So, managers, stop blaming your employees when things are going wrong. In this article, we will discuss why managers place blame on employees and how to take responsibility.
Why do managers blame employees?
There are a few reasons why managers blame employees when things go wrong. One reason is that it is an easy way to avoid taking responsibility. When they don’t know what to do or how to fix a problem, they often turn to the employees and blame them.
Secondly, managers aren’t developing employees. They can’t develop employees if they aren’t developing themselves. So to develop employees, managers need to develop themselves first, which is hard work. Instead, managers blame the employee.
Lastly, managers blame employees because they aren’t getting the training and development they need to provide help. If managers aren’t getting development and training isn’t a priority in the organization, the root cause of performance issues lies with the executive leadership team.
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How can managers take responsibility for employee performance?
When managers take responsibility for employee performance issues, they admit that they need to learn more about managing people and processes. It starts with managers acknowledging that they are the problem and then taking the necessary steps to fix it. This is the first step to stopping managers from placing blame on employees.
- To stop blaming employees, managers need to develop themselves first. They should attend training and development sessions offered by the organization. Managers can take courses on leadership and management on sites like udemy or Coursera to develop themselves. Or, they can listen to audiobooks and podcasts.
- Managers need to be open to feedback from employees. They should ask employees for feedback on their own performance and the team’s performance. However, if you solicit employee feedback, you have to act on that feedback.
- Managers need to prioritize training and development before they can stop blaming employees. Several priorities are competing for their attention. However, taking responsibility for what is going on within their team requires prioritizing employee training, development, and coaching.
- For managers to stop blaming employees for poor performance, they need their managers to develop them. You can’t give what you don’t have. People get promoted to management because they are strong individual contributors. So they get promoted, get a team, and get zero training or development in managing people.
The solution managers need for employee issues isn’t to blame them. The solution for employee issues is for managers to develop them.
Self-development tips for managers
Managers blame employees because it’s easier than taking responsibility. Taking responsibility means developing and training employees. However, managers need to develop themselves before they can develop employees. Here are some self-development tips for managers:
1. Make time for self-development.
Finding time to develop yourself when you’re busy can be hard. Make time in your schedule for learning and development activities. For example, take advantage of your morning commute to listen to podcasts or audiobooks on management and leadership.
2. Read books and articles on management and leadership.
There are a lot of great resources out there on these topics. Reading will help you learn and grow as a manager. The more you learn and grow, the better equipped you are to support your team. And that allows you to stop blaming them and start accepting responsibility for them.
3. Attend workshops and training sessions.
There are many workshops and training sessions available on management and leadership topics. Attending these can help you learn new skills and strategies to help your team improve rather than blame them for not performing.
4. Find a mentor or coach.
One great way for managers to develop themselves is to find a mentor or coach. This person can help you learn and grow in your role. They can provide advice and support and can help you overcome challenges. Finding a mentor or coach is a great way to improve your skills as a manager.
Managers often blame their employees when there are performance issues. However, when there is a problem with employee performance, the manager is the problem. As formal authority leaders, the managers are responsible for what’s going on in their team. Stop blaming employees. Take responsibility by developing yourself so you can develop and support your employees.
Last updated on December 3rd, 2022 at 08:56 am
