When something goes wrong at work, a good organization focuses on what caused the problem and what can be done to ensure it does not happen again. If someone has made a mistake, we expect them to own that mistake and learn what they can do differently to prevent the same error in the future.
For example, sometimes there is a problem with the environment. Lots of work in user interface design identifies how small changes in the way a product is designed can reduce the number of errors people make.
In many situations, though, an error sets off a search for someone to blame. And sometimes, the blame falls on you. Obviously, if you’re the one who caused the problem, accepting the blame is important. But what happens when you’re the one who is set to take the fall for something you didn’t do?
A lot depends on why you’re taking the blame and what the consequences are.
When to accept the blame
Sometimes, when you become the fall guy it’s because you’re trying to fix a bigger problem. A client may be upset at the way a project is going and they believe that your company is to blame. While you could fight with them over why your team is actually in the right, it is sometimes easier to apologize for the problem, reset the relationship, and try to move forward.
In situations like this, your team knows that you are not the source of the problem. You are putting on a show for the client. If that helps to move the project forward, there is little downside to accepting blame you don’t deserve.
Another time when you may take the fall for a mistake that wasn’t yours is when you are in a leadership role and a junior member of your team messes something up that doesn’t get caught in time. As a leader, the responsibility for excellence ultimately lands on you. High-level leaders (and perhaps the public) should not blame a low-level staff member for a problem. That person is probably early in their career and the consequences of taking responsibility could limit their growth and potential. So, as a leader, you should be willing to take the heat for these kinds of problems.
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t work with your team member to correct the problem and to ensure it doesn’t happen again. You may even choose to discipline that team member if their errors have become a habit. But that doesn’t mean that individual should be the one who faces the music outside of your group.
When to fight back
A place where you should defend yourself is when you are set to take the blame for something you did not do, and members of your organization think is your fault. Perhaps an investigation into an error led to the wrong conclusion. It is one thing to take the blame for show. It is another to be falsely accused.
In that case, you should set a time to meet with your supervisor to discuss the problem. Approach it calmly. Bring whatever receipts you have: emails, documentation of your actions, or other records of your involvement in whatever happened. Don’t engage defensively. Just present your case for what you did. Enter the conversation in a spirit of inquiry so that you find out whether there is something you should have done differently that might have led to a better outcome, even if you don’t think you are to blame for the central problem.
One thing you can do to head off the chance you’ll be unfairly blamed is to cop to your actual mistakes quickly. When you do something wrong, let people know and ask what you should do to improve. You might think that admitting your mistakes will harm your stature with your supervisor, but most managers want to be able to trust you; when you admit your mistakes, it gives them reason to believe you’ll let them know as soon as something goes wrong in the future.
The benefit of owning your mistakes quickly is that when you do defend yourself against an assertion that you caused a problem, you’re likely to get the benefit of the doubt. Your supervisor will know that you have a reputation of speaking up when you have done something wrong, and so it is easier for you to make the case that you were erroneously blamed for a mistake when it wasn’t actually your fault.
If you’re being scapegoated
Perhaps the worst case is when you are set up as a fall guy; someone more powerful in the organization is using you to avoid blame for something they did. That situation is hard, because you may not be able to go to your supervisor for support.
In this case, there are a few things you can do. As in the case of trying to defend yourself when falsely accused, gather whatever evidence you can of your actions. Collect emails, project records, and any evidence of work you have done. If you keep contemporaneous notes of conversations, hold onto those as well. (You might want to start a habit of using notebooks and writing notes where you date the pages.) The more physical evidence you have, the better.
Next, try to find a neutral party you can talk to. There might be someone in HR that you can discuss the problem with. If your organization is large enough, you might have another dispute resolution officer. All of the universities I worked for had an ombuds office that faculty, students, or staff could go to for discussions about work-related problems. You might have connections elsewhere in the organization who can suggest someone in the hierarchy who might be able to help.
If you don’t have someone who can help you from within the company, consider consulting an employment or labor attorney who can suggest other options. It is unfortunate to be in a position where you feel your only option is to find legal protection, and it’s probably a good sign that you should ultimately be looking for another job. That said, doing something to shine light on what is happening to you can prevent it from happening to others in the future.