I saw a shirt today that just about put me over the edge.  It read, “To err is human…to put the blame on everyone else is good management.”

I have a huge problem with people not owning up to their mistakes.  A simple, “I’m sorry” goes a long way in making things right.  Why work so hard to come up with excuses when we already have a two word sentence in our English language that, when spoken sincerely, practically fixes everything?

That shirt/saying also is a huge problem with me because I’m in a management position and I truly believe that to earn respect, you must take the blame for things that you messed up on.  If someone tells me, “Oh, that was because so-and-so did it so it got screwed up,” not only are they throwing so-and-so under the bus, but they are lowering my respect for them because all they needed to say was, “I’m sorry.  That was my mistake.”  There, problem solved.  Same goes for me, if I mess up.  There’s nothing wrong with apologizing to someone who is “lower” than me.  (Which raises another whole topic, that “lower” and “above” thing that humans do!  Hate it to bits and pieces.)  In fact, I believe that trust & respect develop when people see that other people can take the brunt for their own mistake(s).

To err is perfectly human.  I wouldn’t expect anyone to be perfect.

Making excuses or putting the blame on someone else does nothing but make yourself look more foolish.