Dance Cam or Blame Cam?

The “dance cam” has become standard in large sports arenas. To entertain the crowd during breaks, the camera pans around the audience on the big screen. Then it zooms in on a person or group that is enthusiastically (even shamelessly) dancing to the music. Sports has also introduced us to the blame cam. You won’t hear that terminology, but it’s the inevitable close-up after a player makes a mistake, such as the basketball player who is called for a foul. When the camera zooms in, it’s as if the media is saying, “Pay attention everyone. This is the person that messed up. They’re a loser!” Leaders are prone to pointing their own blame cams. How often have you been disappointed with an outcome and responded by asking, “Who is at fault?” It’s a question that triggers excuses in the present and risk avoidance in the future. Blame questions look backward and feel punitive. No one is dancing in these moments. Now don’t get me wrong. I think that it’s valuable to examine the cause of failures and disappointments. Some leaders, in an effort to turn off the blame cam, don’t ask questions at all. And while this avoids crushing anyone’s spirit, it doesn’t help individuals or the organization grow. Growth comes from asking the right questions, such as, “What can we learn from this disappointing outcome? What will we do differently in the future?” Growth-oriented questions look forward and are generative. So the next time that you’re dissatisfied with the results of an initiative, think about which camera you’re using. Your thoughtful response might even prompt dancing to break out on your team. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.  ]]>