Preview added to your library
The Blame Game By: Ben Dattner

The Blame Game - How the Hidden Rules of Credit and Blame Determine Our Success or Failure

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Rate this book!

( 4 customer ratings)

In order to rate this item, you must sign in first.

Free Press, March 2011

Synopsis

FROM HIS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE CONSULTING to leading companies, psychologist Ben Dattner has discovered that at the root of the worst problems we confront at work is the skewed allocation of blame and credit. In so many workplaces, people feel they’re playing a high-stakes game of “blame or be blamed,” which can be disastrous for the individuals who get caught up in it and can sink teams and afflict whole companies. Dattner presents compelling evidence that whether we fall into the trap of playing the blame game or learn to avoid the pitfalls is a major determinant of how successful we will be.

The problem is that so many workplaces foster a blaming culture. Maybe you have a constantly blaming boss, or a colleague who is always taking credit for others’ work. All too often, individuals are scapegoated, teams fall apart, projects get derailed, and people become disengaged because fear and resentment have taken root. And what’s worse, the more emotionally charged a workplace is—maybe our jobs are threatened or we’re facing a particularly difficult challenge—the more emphatically people play the game, just when trust and collaboration are most needed. What can we do? We can learn to understand the hidden dynamics of human psychology that lead to this bad behavior so that we can inoculate ourselves against it and defuse the tensions in our own workplace.

In lively prose that is as engaging as it is illuminating, Dattner tells a host of true stories of those he has worked with—from the woman who was so scapegoated by her colleagues that she decided to quit, to the clueless boss who was too quick to blame his staff. He shares a wealth of insight from the study of human evolution and psychology to reveal the underlying reasons why people are so prone to blaming and credit-grabbing; it’s not only human nature, it’s found throughout the animal kingdom. Even bats do it. He shows how our family experiences, gender, and culture also all shape the way we cope with credit and blame issues, and introduces eleven personality types that are especially prone to causing difficulties and illustrates how we can best cope with them. He also profiles how a number of outstanding leaders, from General Dwight Eisenhower and President Harry Truman to highly respected business figures such as former Intel CEO Andy Grove and Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, employed the power of taking blame and sharing credit to achieve great success.

The only winning move in the blame game, Dattner shows, is not to play, and the insights and practical suggestions in this book will help readers, at any level of any organization and at any stage of their careers, learn to manage the crucial psychology of credit and blame for themselves and others.

Preview added to your library

The Blame Game - How the Hidden Rules of Credit and Blame Determine Our Success or Failure

Free Press, March 2011
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
( 4 customer ratings)

You Might Like:

eBook Information

Imprint: Free Press
ISBN: 9781439169582
Language:  English
Download options: Adobe DRM EPUB

Files Available for Download

If you use one of Kobo's free reading apps you won't need to worry about download options most of the time. Your Kobo reading app can easily add Kobo Store books to your library for a seamless reading experience.

Download options matter when:

  • You want to read your book on an eReader other than the Kobo eReader (see here for a list of supported eReaders).
  • The book you want is only available as an Adobe DRM PDF.

In both of these cases you will need to:

  1. Download a copy of your book to your computer.
  2. Open the book using a free application called Adobe Digital Editions.

You can also use Digital Editions to transfer the book to your eReader. See here for more information on Digital Editions.

  • With: Darren Dahl

Read this on:

  • Desktop More

    Kobo Desktop App

    You can read this item on your computer using our free Kobo Desktop Application. This application lets you read, manage your library of eBooks, and even shop for new ones. Check out our demo for more information!

    Download it now for PC!

    Download App!

    Mac user? Click here

    Download it now for Mac!

    Download App!

    PC user? Click here

    Learn More »
  • eReaders More

    eReading Devices

    You can read this item on your Kobo eReader (or other select electronic reading devices). The Kobo eReader lets you carry your whole library with you, so that you can read on the go.

    Visit kobo.com/ereaders »
  • Tablets More

    Tablets

    You can read this item on select tablets using one of our free Kobo apps. These apps let you read, manage your library of eBooks, and even shop for new ones.

    Learn More »
  • Kobo Vox More

    Kobo Vox

    You can read this item on your Kobo Vox eReader. The Kobo Vox eReader lets you read books with color, sound or interactive elements. Check out our demo for more information on the Kobo Vox.

    Learn More »
  • Kobo Arc More

    Kobo Arc

    You can read this item on your Kobo Arc using the Library app. This app lets you read, manage your library of eBooks, and shop for new books.

    Learn More »
  • Android More

    Android

    You can read this item on any Android device (phone, tablet) with one of our free Kobo apps. These apps let you read, manage your library of eBooks, and even shop for new ones.

    Learn More »
  • iPhone More

    iPhone

    You can read this item on the free Kobo app for iPhone. This app let you read, manage your library of eBooks, and even shop for new ones.

    Download the iPhone App! Learn More »

Goodreads Reviews for The Blame Game

{1}

By: {2}

Available on: {3}

Coming soon

Secure Transaction

Subtotal

Store Credit

Total

We'll charge your credit card {4} on {3}.

We'll charge your credit card {4} when the book is added to your Library.

Your store credit covers the cost of this purchase, so we don't charge your credit card

Use Quick Buy for all eBook purchases.
{0}
By clicking Buy Now, I agree to Kobo's Terms of Sale. BUY NOW Pre-Order

Thank you for your purchase

Thanks for pre-ordering

{2} is now in your library. You'll receive an email confirming your purchase very soon.

{2} has been pre-ordered. You'll receive a confirmation email confirming your pre-order very soon.

You were charged:

You will be charged: on {3}

You will be charged: when the book is added to your Library

Rakuten Super Points earned: {1}

Rakuten Super Points {1} earned after the book is added to your Library

{0}
Continue shopping