When our dog, Lucy, did something like chew up the binder of a book or dig through the wastebasket, we would playfully say, “Who did this?” We humans can sometimes be quick to assign blame. As old and wise as I supposedly am, too often, I look for someone else to blame (or at least share it) when things go wrong. Taking responsibility for my part does not always come easily.

A Classic Scenario

When it comes to leading others, taking responsibility can really be put to the test. Let’s say my group is responsible for delivering on a project. One of my direct reports, Jason, has been assigned to lead it. I have a meeting with him, a few others and send them on their way. A couple weeks later I hear that something with this project is going off the rails and I call Jason in to find out what’s happened. Admittedly, my mindset is poised for blame. “What did Jason do or not do?”

My Part

What if, though, before I ever called Jason in, I asked myself these questions:

1. Did I set clear expectations with him? (I mean really clear.)
2. Did I ensure that Jason had the resources he needed, or at least discuss how he was to work with what he had?
3. Were there any roadblocks that I needed to clear for him?
4. Am I following up enough with him?

As Jason’s leader, these items are usually my responsibility. Before I leap into blaming him, I need to look at myself first. Ideally, I would tee these questions up with him before the project kicked off. But if I didn’t it’s usually not too late to course-correct.

For sure, Jason has his responsibilities in this. But, in this case, my weaker communications and lack of resources limited the potential for success here. So, before moving into blame, let’s work to get clear about our part and take responsibility for leading ourselves first.

PS: A Tip on Getting Clearer About What Your Employees Need

The BirkmanÔ is a great tool to explore some of what your direct reports might need to function at their best. One of the unique features of this assessment tool is the identification of someone’s BirkmanÔ Needs or expectations. (The theory goes that if they don’t get these met, then they might begin to exhibit some of their Stress behaviors.) An easy-to-use one-page report on this is the Coaching Page. It’s a great summary of the person’s Needs. Consider having a valuable discussion with your employee using this, whether there’s a project in play or not.