Credit and Blame at Work - by Ben Dattner (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Previously published as The Blame Game, this acclaimed guide by a leading workplace expert offers essential advice about how to succeed at work by avoiding the pitfalls of pervasive credit-grabbing and finger-pointing.

Credit and Blame at Work, praised by bestselling management expert Robert Sutton as "a modern management classic; one of the most well-crafted business books I have ever read," psychologist and workplace consultant Ben Dattner reveals that at the root of the worst problems at work is the skewed allocation of credit and blame. It's human nature to resort to blaming others, as well as to take more credit for successes than we should. Many managers also foster a "blame or be blamed" culture that can turn a workplace into a smoldering battlefield and upend your career. Individuals are scapegoated, teams fall apart, projects get derailed, and people become disengaged because fear and resentment take hold. But Dattner shows that we can learn to understand the dynamics of this bad behavior so that we can inoculate ourselves against it.

In lively prose, Dattner tells a host of true stories from individuals and teams he's worked with, identifying the eleven personality types who are especially prone to credit and blame problems and introducing simple methods for dealing with each of them. The rich insights and powerful practical advice Dattner offers allow readers to master the vital skills necessary for rising above the temptations of the blame game, defusing the tensions, and achieving greater success.

Review Quotes

""The Blame Game" is a modern management masterpiece; one of the most well-crafted business books I have ever read. It is useful, timeless, and often counter-intuitive. This compelling gem weaves together rigorous research and commonsense to show how the wisest, most humane, and most effective leaders get ahead - and enable their teams and organizations to succeed - in surprising ways."--Robert I. Sutton, Stanford Professor and author of Good Boss, Bad Boss

"Ben Dattner has authored a brilliant and timely book. Unfortunately, the blame game is alive and all too well in business today. In "The Blame Game" the author offers us insights as to how to change the game and create healthy and productive companies."--Doug Lennick, author, Moral Intelligence

"Blame and credit constitute a hidden economy that, if not managed properly, can undermine even the most promising organizations and derail even the most promising careers. This book is an encyclopedia of blame in the workplace that anyone, at any level of their company and at any stage of their career, can benefit from reading."--Keith McFarland, #1 Best Selling Author of The Breakthrough Company and Bounce

"Packed full of intriguing, all-too-familiar stories, and based on a foundation of well established theories and research, "The Blame Game" is an excellent resource for developing greater self awareness about the dangerous allure, and greater social awareness about the contagious effects, of blame. Ben Dattner provides us with sound practical advice about how to stop playing the blame game, and how to instead create and maintain relationships and organizations based on honesty, trust and respect."--Annie McKee, co-author of Primal Leadership and founder, Teleos Leadership Institute

"Through a wealth of stories and research, "The Blame Game" presents a compelling case that individuals, groups and organizations can benefit greatly by focusing less on blame and more on problem solving and collaboration. Leaders at any level of any organization will find practical guidance for how they can make this shift and also lead others in a better direction."--Pamela Meyer, author, From Workplace to Playspace: Innovating, Learning and Changing Through Dynamic Engagement

"We've all suffered from the blame game, whether we are the one getting unfairly blamed, or the one yielding to the temptation to unproductively blame others. Through the lens of organizational psychology, Ben Dattner explains why blame is so prevalent in the workplace and presents so many challenges in our careers. Then he shares practical advice for how to break free from the blame game by taking appropriate responsibility for our actions, learning from our mistakes, and giving others the credit they are due."--Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, author of Women Who Think Too Much and The Power of Women

"A handbook for CEOs and other leaders...An excellent, thought-provoking book; amust read."

About the Author

Ben Datner is the founder of Dattner Consulting, a workplace consulting firm whose client list includes Pfizer, Novartis, MasterCard, and Goodyear. He is the workplace consultant for NPR's Morning Edition, writes the Minds at Work blog for Psychology Today, and is an adjunct professor at New York University. He lives in New York City.

Darran Dahl is a collaborative editor and writer. He worked for four years as a staff writer at Inc. magazine, where he remains a contributing editor.