Quit the Blame Game: 5 Tips to Stay Accountable Instead

Who here loves to play games? 🙋 Yep, I see that raised hand over there!

Of all the games that we could choose to enjoy and engage in, the blame game should not be one of them. While it’s very human and easy for us to just say, because so-and-so did it, NOBODY REALLY WINS in this blame game.

But, how do we stop this cycle of blame? If this becomes a habit that is so hard to break, we could all start with a mindset shift instead. To start with? Let's start by staying accountable.

Here are doable tips we can get started with that would do wonders, not only for ourselves, but for our teams and our business as well.

1. Identify the triggers for blaming others.

Just as each of us is unique, our special buttons are also unique. It’s vital to identify which issues or tasks easily triggers us. Once we know ourselves that far, we can alert ourselves that the urge to blame is about to surface. You can then take stock of the situation, do a quick evaluation, and be mindful of the words that you say.

2. Stop playing the victim card.

Alright. This is the easy path to getting sympathy for the situation, but as virtual assistants for online coaches, we know that you keep clear from this action, too. Instead, excellent coaches teach others how to acknowledge what's wrong and identify ways how to pick yourself up from there. At the end of the day, the only response you could really act upon is yours and not someone else’s.

3. Empathize.

See yourself in the shoes of the person you want to assign the blame. It’s been said that we need to be kind. What we may not realize is that an error happened because the person is going through a tough time. As we empathize, we develop the practice of seeing the other person as an ally rather than a foe.

4. Work out the issue, not the person.

There’s always the temptation to point our finger at someone – a family member, our virtual assistant, our client – but this could only build a wedge between the two of you. If you’re working with a team, you would not want to let mistakes create wedges among you. Instead, address the actual issue and what can be done about it rather than dwelling on what the person did wrong.

5. Find resolution.

Picking up from the failures should be a focus if we want to stop blaming others. So, it’s done, yeah? Acknowledge what happened and initiate finding ways to resolve it. You will be addressing two important things when you do this. First, you steer the direction towards restoration and success, and second, you’re helping the person be responsible for implementing the resolutions that have been agreed upon.

Now, here’s something worth thinking about: Blaming someone is not worth your wrinkles, especially if that someone is yourself. 😉

What can you do instead?

Redeem the situation by coming up with resolutions. Identify ways how to improve your business, build up your team, and engage your niche market even more. Surround yourself with people like the 8point8 virtual assistant team who can help you stay focused on building and scaling your business success rather than on dwelling in the fruitless efforts of blaming.