Why Do People Blame Others?

Blame-shifting is a common phenomenon that occurs in every profession and department, not just in the tech world. Whether it’s a developer, a marketer, or anyone else, people often find themselves pointing fingers when things go wrong. This behavior can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you know the issue isn’t your fault.

Many of these situations have happened to me personally, and while I always aim to keep an open mind, it can be challenging to deal with the constant negativity when people instinctively blame the application for everything. Of course, there are times when the app is at fault, and I have no problem admitting my mistakes and fixing them. However, the blame game often feels like an unfair default response.

Let’s look at some real-world examples:

1. The IT Guy and the Web Server:
   An IT specialist blamed a web server for not responding to pings when the internet connection was down. However, the server was intentionally configured to disable ping responses, and the issue was actually with the office network. The IT guy didn’t check the network connectivity first, opting instead to blame the server.

2. The Marketing Guy and the Analytics Data:
   A marketing professional blamed the web app for not receiving complete data from analytics. In reality, there was a single, straightforward setup process to connect the analytics system, similar to plugging in a cable. There wasn’t much room for error, but instead of troubleshooting his part first, the web app was blamed.

3. Other Dev Teams and the Latest Code Push:
   A development team blamed a recent code push for their server’s slow response time. The new code was tested on multiple low-performance servers, in a RAM-capped Docker environment, and benchmarked both with and without the latest code. There was no difference in performance, yet the team didn’t hesitate to place the blame on the new code.

4. App Users and CRUD Mistakes:
   App users sometimes blame developers when data isn’t saved or updated correctly. In many cases, these issues stem from user errors in creating, reading, updating, or deleting (CRUD) data. For example, a user might blame the app for losing data when, in reality, they didn’t click ‘Save’ or entered incorrect information. Despite clear user mistakes, the blame often lands on the developers.

Why Does This Happen?

Blame-shifting occurs for several reasons:

• Lack of Understanding: People may not fully understand the issue and thus make assumptions that lead them to blame others.
• Stress and Pressure: Under tight deadlines or high stress, it’s easier to blame someone else than to take the time to find the root cause.
• Protecting Ego and Reputation: Admitting fault can be difficult, especially if it might affect someone’s reputation or standing within a team or company.
• Technical Misconceptions: Users or non-technical staff might not have the necessary technical knowledge to diagnose problems correctly, leading them to blame the wrong source.

How to Deal with Blame-Shifting

While you can’t control other people’s behavior, you can manage your response to it:

• Stay Calm: Responding with anger or frustration can escalate the situation. Stay calm and professional.
• Provide Evidence: Present data or evidence that supports your case. For example, logs, test results, or configuration settings can demonstrate that the issue is not on your end.
• Encourage Collaboration: Promote a culture of collaboration rather than blame. Encourage teams to work together to find solutions rather than pointing fingers.
• Educate and Inform: Where possible, provide users and colleagues with the necessary information or training to help them understand the system better. This can reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings and misplaced blame.

Blame is easy to assign but rarely productive. By understanding why people blame others and learning how to respond constructively, we can create a more collaborative and effective work environment. Do not be a blamer, be a problem solver.