By Michael “Mike” J. Jones
Well-known public speaker Wolfgang Riebe noted, “No one is perfect… That’s why pencils have erasers.” And, while the first part––none of us is perfect––is true, the second part is a bit glib. Some mistakes aren’t easily erased.
In recent weeks, I’ve been in multiple conversations about the prevailing “blame culture” in healthcare. When something happens, the finger-pointing begins — those involved in the incident look at who to blame––an individual at fault. A consequence of a culture of blame is that those who make mistakes, or who see something that’s not right, may put themselves at risk if they bring it to the attention of leadership. This is because, very often, the person who blows the whistle risks termination.
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