The Blame Game

Not all screw-ups are equal. As the old managerial logic goes, there are big mistakes and bad mistakes, but you can’t make a big, bad mistake. He who works without error isn’t taking enough risks. Ace your mea culpas with this matrix from Justin Hale, who teaches communication at VitalSmarts

“This was my fault. I should have done [X task] before [Y bigger problem].

I apologise.”

“I’m sorry for the part I played in

[X silly mistake].

We messed up. I apologise for that.”

“I want to talk about what happened. My role in the situation was [X honest answer]. I’m not clear on the impact. I’d like to know what happened from your perspective and how it affected you.”

“This was completely my fault, and I want to take ownership of that. I should have done [X sensible thing], but instead I did [Y silly thing]. And I’m so sorry that the fallout caused you pain and frustration. What can I do to make this right?”

“I’m sorry for the part I played in [X costly

mistake]. I messed up when I suggested [Y silly idea]. I know this must be causing you a lot of stress. I’m sorry I contributed to that.”