There are people who always say I should’ve/could’ve/would’ve done this and didn’t; it is all on me. If you are leading a person like this, as Sheela Heen calls them, blame absorbers, you have to take precautions. Otherwise, it leads to a toxic and unlearning environment. It’s easy to fall into the trap of owning a responsibility. When a blame absorber takes full responsibility, there is none left for others. Also, it is detrimental to the absorber. Usually, there is not only one responsible person. Usually, there is a system, and other people and situations impact the problem.
If you let this slip, it builds resentment over time. The absorber starts to think they’re always to blame, and others don’t take responsibility at all. If you’re building an ownership culture, be careful and show people the bigger picture and how you, they, and others are responsible together.
- Source(s): Thanks for The Feedback by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen
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