Accountability without blame

 Blaming and shaming are often used to hold people accountable for their actions. But while these tools may be effective in the moment, they do more harm than good in the long run.  The problem is that many people see the short-term impact, and that encourages them to continue shaming people. Blaming and shaming individuals for their mistakes creates a culture of fear, where people become more focused on avoiding blame than on learning from their mistakes. 

When people are afraid of being blamed for their mistakes, they are less likely to admit to them. Instead, they may try to cover up their errors or shift the blame to someone else. This not only perpetuates the problem but also creates a culture of mistrust where individuals are less likely to work together and collaborate effectively. This also tends to stifle risk-taking. 

I wonder if, as an educational system, we promote learning from our mistakes—or do students fear making mistakes?  This fear can feed anxiety in students.  As educators, we need to truly focus on the learning part of our students’ errors. 

In conclusion, the stick may seem like an effective tool to hold people accountable for their actions. However, they do more harm than good. When people fear making mistakes, it hinders their growth.  Instead, schools need to build a culture of accountability, where students and teachers feel safe admitting mistakes and learning from them without fear of retribution.  This will lead to a more productive environment.