Pointing the finger isn’t just child’s play. We still do it as adults… every day. And as long as it’s “someone else’s problem” we can just ignore it, right?… unfortunately that also robs us of something more important – our own empowerment.
Putting off problems to someone else doesn’t solve it. In fact, it can come back and haunt you even more. So rather than deflect and defer, why not respect and respond?
Don’t look for someone or something to blame
Think of how much further you’ll get if you spend your time looking for solutions. Besides, if you find someone else to blame, think of how much time they’re going to lose blaming YOU.
Taking the responsibility isn’t taking the blame
Being “responsible” puts you in a position of power… and being in power means that you can help control how the solution will be implemented. Are you really comfortable with someone else’s solution?
Make Allegiances
Form a team of allies; especially with the person who started the blame game. There is less resistance if your “enemy” becomes your “ally,” and that will get you to the solution quicker.
Keep relationships intact
Remember that the relationship between people is more important than winning an argument. If you can all value that, no problem is too big to tackle.
Keep focus on the solutions
There’s a natural tendency to want to figure out what went wrong, so as not to do it again. Nothing wrong with that, except when the return on that investment amounts to very little. Before you begin to look back, ask yourself if it would be better to just keep looking forward. Some things are better just fixed and forgotten.
Learn and move on
When it’s all over, then you can review and see what NOT to do again in the future. Then, once you learned something GET ON WITH IT.