Performance Programs Inc. is pleased to announce the new “Credit and Blame Type Assessment” (CBTA), developed in partnership with Hogan Assessment Systems and Dr. Ben Dattner, author of the forthcoming book “The Blame Game: How the hidden rules of credit and blame determine our success and failure” (Free Press, March 15, 2011).
Credit and blame are at the heart of organizational psychology and career success. How people assign credit or blame to themselves and others is a critical factor in professional development, workplace relationships, dynamics within and between teams, organizational culture, and leadership performance. There is a high degree of subjectivity in how people assign credit and blame to themselves and others, and it’s important to know how the way in which leaders assign credit and blame may be perceived by others. When it comes to the social dynamics of credit and blame, perceptions matter. Leaders have different styles of assigning credit and blame, and different styles can be perceived as more or less effective and motivational in different situations, roles, and organizations. Successful leaders are often highly self-aware, and socially sensitive, about the challenges and opportunities of credit and blame, and are able to effectively adapt their style in different circumstances in order to motivate others, to create cohesive and loyal teams, and to recognize and reward good performance while holding people accountable for results.
The report categorizes responses into 11 blame “types” organized into 3 categories:
Category I: Tendency to Blame Others
– Volatile Guardian — Assign credit and blame based on mood
– Sensitive Retirer — Make decisions that minimize risk of blame
– Wary Watcher — Vigilant for evidence of others unfairly blaming them
– Rationalizing Blamer — Refuse to take responsibility for mistakes
Category II: Tendency to Deny Blame
– Big Person on Campus — Lead with main purpose of receiving glory
– High Wire Walker — Seek credit by doing whatever is necessary to get it
– Indifferent Daydreamer — Uncaring about either credit or blame
– Thespian — Focus on gaining attention from others
– Assertive Daydreamer — Assign credit or blame on superstition over fact
Category III: Tendency to Blame Oneself
– Micromanager — Perfectionistic, focused on tactical
– Martyr — Take more blame than deserved
The report is intended to help people reflect on the way in which others perceive how they assign credit and blame. It details several leadership “types” and provides percentile scores that indicate how likely it is that the people who work with or for those taking the assessment will perceive that they fit those various styles. This report is intended to be a point of departure that encourages leaders to explore how they currently assign credit and blame, and how they might more productively assign credit and blame in the future. This report is not intended to be a substitute for open and candid feedback from colleagues, peers, or supervisors, which is helpful to solicit on an ongoing basis at any stage of one’s career, not just for issues of credit and blame, but for all aspects of leadership. This report is not intended to provide any definitive “answers,” but is instead intended to provide questions for people
who take it to ask themselves and others over time as they develop their leadership skills.
For more information about Performance Programs Inc., click here.
For more information about “The Blame Game”, click here.
To take the Credit and Blame Type Assessment (CBTA) click here.
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