I was out and about the other day and overheard someone say something I hadn't heard in years. A boss was asking a subordinate about an order that went wrong and his reply started with the words "It's my fault".
After their conversation was over, I spoke with the employee. I told him that if I ever started another company, I'd keep him in mind as I hadn't heard anyone take responsibility for a screw-up in 20 years or more.
Later on, I wondered why that was true. Some of it is because many of the places we work in are low-trust environments. Admitting error puts you at a disadvantage in comparison with those of your peers who duck responsibility and blame others. The problem is that almost every environment is now a low-trust whirlpool.
The costs of this kind of behavior are larger than than the obvious ones, low morale and promotion of weenies. It forces everyone to waste significant amounts of time covering their asses by documenting every little thing in case there's a blowup in the future.
If you ever run across someone who is willing to take responsibility for a screw-up, consider hiring them. Some skills can't be taught and being a grown-up is one of them.
