It was her…
He started it…
It wasn’t me…
Yes but, if it hadn’t been for (insert name
of sibling, colleague, other silo department, your nemesis) it would have been
OK…
Yes, but we didn’t ask for that…
Yes, but we didn’t set the timetable…
It’s the (government’s/our neighbour’s/our
partner’s/another organisation’s/the budget holder’s) fault…
Well I would agree to this, but
(HR/Finance/my boss/the handbook/the computer) says no…
Blame! So easy, so pervasive, can be so
entrenched… as any of us who explained a childhood argument with a sibling to a
parent who wished to brook no nonsense, will recall.
Increased marketisation, longer and more
complex supply chains, more contracts, more clauses, more frequent ‘hand offs’.
These are all blamed if public services decline in quality. I expect to hear
more of that in 2014, but I hope not to. We can all play a part in reducing this
by our attitudes, responses and how we choose to channel our energy, as we go
into a new year. I am going to try my best on this. I hope you will join me.
To conclude, I had fun looking up famous
quotes about blame. Here are two I particularly loved, and simple to remember
if you get tempted into the blame trap:
“Stop
blaming and start aiming.”
“Blame has
no purpose, and it is a lousy teacher.”
And for New
Year’s Eve only:
“Don't blame it on the
sunshine
Don't blame it on the
moonlight
Don't blame it on the
good times
Blame it on the boogie”
- The Jacksons
