How to Shift from Blame to Trust in Investigations

Focusing on the person fuels conflict—focusing on the issue fuels solutions. Early in my career, I thought the quickest way to resolve problems was to address the person behind them. It seemed logical at the time—hold them accountable, set things straight, and the issue would vanish. But I was wrong. The reality? This approach often backfires. When we focus on the person instead of the problem, we risk creating defensiveness, breaking trust, and sidelining the bigger picture: the issue itself. Many leaders still make this mistake, and it’s easy to see why—it feels personal when things go wrong. But here’s the truth: 👉 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹. Miscommunication, process gaps, or unclear expectations often play a larger role than we think. So how can we shift from blame to resolution? Here’s what I’ve learned: 1. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆. Before jumping to conclusions, ask questions. “What challenges are you facing?” or “How can we make this process clearer?” opens the door to collaboration, not conflict. 2. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀. Instead of saying, “You didn’t meet the deadline,” try, “What obstacles prevented us from meeting the timeline?” This uncovers deeper issues and solutions. 3. 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲. Be intentional. The goal isn’t to assign blame but to find ways forward. Frame feedback as a tool for growth, not criticism. Struggling with this shift is normal—most of us do. But the payoff is huge: stronger relationships, clearer problem-solving, and a team that feels supported, not attacked. When was the last time you paused to address the issue, not the person?

Focus on the WHAT, not the WHO As a leader, how you frame your questions can either build or destroy your team. Early in my career, I experienced a situation that deeply shaped my understanding of leadership. I had just joined a new company when I was copied on an email from a senior leader. The company had missed a deadline for submitting required monthly returns, leading to a 10% penalty. The leader’s first question? “Who is responsible for this?” and “Why didn’t they submit it on time?” Being new, I felt a deep sense of unease. It became clear that I had entered an environment where the instinctive reaction to a problem was to find someone to blame. This type of leadership, where the focus is on assigning fault rather than understanding the issue, creates a culture of fear and defensiveness. But leadership should be about learning and growth, not blame. When a leader asks “Who?” and “Why?”, the team’s natural response is to become defensive. They may withhold valuable insights simply to protect themselves, which stifles learning and innovation. Instead, consider asking, “What happened?” This simple shift opens the door to understanding the root cause of the issue and encourages open dialogue. It transforms a blame game into a learning opportunity. So next time something goes wrong, resist the urge to point fingers. Focus on the problem, not the person. Ask “What happened?” and watch how your team’s response and your own understanding of the situation evolve. The insights you gain could be the key to driving continuous improvement and fostering a culture of trust and growth. #Leadershiplessons #Itspossible

Blame Doesn’t Build Safer Sites Too often, incident investigations turn into a search for who to blame. But when we focus on blame, we miss the chance to learn. When workers fear getting in trouble, they stay quiet. They leave out details. They stop reporting. And the real causes stay hidden. A good investigation doesn’t ask, “Who didn’t follow the rules?” It asks, “What made failure possible?” We learn more when we look at unclear procedures, time pressure, system gaps, poor communication, and whether people had the right training or the competency to do the task. It’s not just about who was holding the tool. We need to ask if they were properly trained, if they were under pressure to finish quickly, if they had the right equipment and support, and if the risks were clearly explained. Blame doesn’t just stop learning. It makes the site less safe. In some organisations, the person involved in an incident is removed or terminated. When that happens, the learning is often lost. A new person is brought in, but the same issues remain, and the cycle repeats. From my experience, some of the best people in safety are those who have been through incidents and learned from them. They understand the risks in a way that others can’t, and they help strengthen the system for everyone. The best safety outcomes happen when people feel safe to speak up. We can’t fix what we don’t understand. And we can’t understand what people are too afraid to say. Let’s focus less on blame and more on learning, honesty, and action. #IncidentInvestigation #LearningCulture #SafetyCulture #PsychologicalSafety #ConstructionSafety #HSE #Leadership

When pressure hits, blame spreads fast. - Timelines slip. - Fear creeps in. - Mistakes surface. And before long, people start pointing fingers—trying to protect themselves instead of fixing the problem. But blame never solves the issue. It only fractures trust. I’ve seen this firsthand. Years ago, on a complex project with multiple contractors, a critical system failed during commissioning. At first, everyone rushed to prove it wasn’t their fault. But the moment we shifted the conversation from who to what—and focused on solutions—the team’s mindset changed. Ownership replaced blame. Problems got resolved faster. Here’s how you become influential leader break that cycle and build a culture of accountability—even in the toughest moments: 1. Normalize Accountability Early Make it clear from the start that mistakes are data, not weapons. The goal is learning, not punishment. 2. Focus on the Issue, Not the Individual Ask: What happened? and Why did it happen? Not: Who messed up? 3. Lead With Transparency Share what you know, what you don’t, and what comes next. When people feel informed, they feel less threatened. 4. Model It Yourself If you made a misstep, own it first. Nothing builds credibility faster than a leader willing to say: I got this wrong. 5. Turn Reflection Into Action After the crisis, debrief as a team: - What worked? - What failed? - What will we do differently next time? Because in high-pressure environments, how you handle mistakes matters more than avoiding them. Accountability fuels progress. Blame just fuels fear. PS:  How have you seen great leaders build trust during crisis? Share an example in the comments. #DarkoMacura

Don’t blame HSE after an incident! "Whose fault was it?" This is often the first question after a safety incident. But it's the wrong one. Blaming an individual might feel like a resolution, but it's a strategic error. It treats a symptom while ignoring the disease within the system. When we blame, we: ➡️ Erode trust and psychological safety. ➡️ Encourage under-reporting of near-misses. ➡️ Miss the opportunity to fix the underlying cause. ➡️ Guarantee the problem will recur. The goal of any investigation is not to assign blame, but to gather data to prevent future occurrences. We must adopt a 'Just Culture'—a mindset that recognizes that competent professionals don’t come to work to get hurt or to make mistakes. They are influenced by the system they work within. Instead of "Who failed?", we need to ask: 🤔 "What were the gaps in our procedures?" 🤔 "Was there adequate training and resources?" 🤔 "What production pressures or environmental factors were present?" 🤔 "How can we redesign the system to make the safe choice the easiest choice?" True HSE leadership is about creating systems that support people and foster continuous learning. Let's champion investigations that seek answers, not scapegoats. #JustCulture #HSE #HealthAndSafety #SafetyLeadership #OperationalExcellence #HumanPerformance #RiskAssessment #IncidentPrevention #SystemsThinking #WorkplaceWellbeing #ContinuousImprovement #SafetyFirst #PsychologicalSafety

Trauma-Informed Tip #12 – Using Collaboration to Create Psychological Safety in Investigations Investigations have an inherent power imbalance and can feel like an intimidating process for many participants. Fortunately, one of the key principles of Trauma Informed Care – collaboration – can help to level this power imbalance and create a more psychologically safe environment for your participants. There are many ways to foster collaboration in your investigations, here are a few to get you started. 1. Solicit the participant's preferences and incorporate them wherever possible. For example, ask how they prefer to communicate, whether they'd rather meet in person or via videoconference, or if they want to complete the interview in one sitting or over multiple days. Offering choice gives participants a sense of control over the process. 2. Remind the witness of the areas where they have control. For instance, during the interview they can pause, take breaks, or stop the conversation whenever they need to. Reinforce their autonomy throughout the process. 3. Frame the investigation as a collaborative effort. I often start by explaining, “We’ll work together to gather as much information as possible about your concerns,” which helps to emphasize that we’re working toward a shared goal. By using these simple strategies, we can turn what might feel like an intimidating, one-sided process into one that empowers participants and builds trust. ------- I’m Laura. I’m Co-CEO of Barker Hutchinson, a workplace and regulatory investigations firm in Canada. We’ve conducted over 400 investigations related to sexual misconduct and many more into other traumatic circumstances. I’ve started a series on Tuesdays with the aim of giving investigators easy, actionable tips to conduct trauma-informed investigations. I hope you’ll tune in!

🧠 Cognitive Biases in Incident Investigations: The Hidden Risk in the Room When incidents happen, we often look for what went wrong — but we don’t always ask why the decisions made sense at the time. That’s where cognitive biases come in. Biases are mental shortcuts our brains use to simplify decisions. They’re not flaws — they’re human nature. But in investigations, they can cloud judgement, distort findings, and lead us to the wrong conclusions. 🔍 Here’s how they show up in investigations: Hindsight Bias: “They should have seen it coming.” Easy to say with perfect vision after the fact. Confirmation Bias: Looking only for evidence that supports what we already believe. Attribution Bias: Blaming the person, not the system they were working in. Anchoring Bias: Letting the first piece of information dominate the narrative. If we don’t check our thinking, we risk: ❌ Missing the real root cause ❌ Repeating the same mistake ❌ Creating controls that don’t actually work A high-quality investigation requires more than checklists. It requires psychological safety, critical thinking, and a willingness to challenge assumptions. ✅ Ask, “What did they see, hear, and know at the time?” ✅ Separate the outcome from the process. ✅ Investigate the system, not just the individual. Because the goal isn’t blame — it’s learning. And we can’t learn if we’re blind to our own biases. #IncidentInvestigation #CognitiveBias #RootCauseAnalysis #SafetyCulture #HumanFactors #OperationalLearning #PsychologicalSafety #SafetyLeadership #ErrorPrevention #JustCulture

🔎 Are Your Investigations Helping or Hurting? ⚠️ We invest so much in investigation frameworks, analysis tools, and workflows, believing they’ll give us better results. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Garbage in, garbage out. If the way we ask questions is flawed, no methodology can fix the outcome. That’s why interviewing skills are so critical. 💡 At last week's Safety Curiously Live, Emmanuel Raggi shared some insights from air accident investigations where getting accurate information is crucial. There are some simple but effective interviewing techniques that can improve how we investigate workplace incidents: 🚀 Investigate to learn, not to blame – If accountability is mixed into the process, witnesses will shut down or omit key details. Keep them separate. 🚀 Investigator independence is crucial – Bias distorts reality. If investigators are too close to operations, pressure to assign blame creeps in. 🚀 Drop the hierarchy – If the interviewer is seen as a senior leader, expect guarded answers. People speak freely when they don’t feel intimidated. 🚀 Environment matters – A director’s office = stress and caution. A familiar workspace = relaxed, open conversations. Simple, yet often overlooked. 🚀 Culture isn’t one-size-fits-all – National, organisational, and professional cultures shape how people respond to questions. Investigations must adapt accordingly. 🚀 Open-ended questions unlock real insights – Instead of “Why did you do that?” (which triggers defensiveness), ask “What happened?” and let the story unfold. 🚀 Ditch the notepad – Writing notes breaks eye contact and trust. If witnesses see you jotting something down, they might worry they said something incriminating. Instead, actively listen and write key points immediately after. 🚀 Protect witness anonymity – If people think their words might be used against them, they’ll stay silent. Reports should capture learning, not names. When we stop interrogating and start understanding, we build trust, uncover the truth, and create safer workplaces. Want to transform your safety programme from predictable to powerful? Let's add some Safety Curiously sparks and make safety engaging, memorable and impactful. Let's connect and make it happen! 📩 Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost to help others in your network, and follow Urbain Bruyere for more.

How to Foster a No-Blame Culture — And Why It Matters More Than You Think A "no-blame culture" isn’t about avoiding accountability — it’s about creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up, learn, and grow. What Is a No-Blame Culture? A no-blame culture encourages teams to "focus on learning and improvement" rather than pointing fingers when things go wrong. It shifts the question from "Who messed up?" to "What can we learn from this?" How to Foster It: 1. Lead by Example   Leaders must model vulnerability. Admit your own mistakes and show how you’re learning from them. 2. Shift from Blame to Curiosity   Instead of assigning fault, ask: What happened? Why did it happen? How can we prevent it next time? 3. Encourage Psychological Safety   Make it safe for people to raise concerns, share bad news, or challenge decisions without fear of judgment or retaliation. 4. Make Learning the Goal   Turn failures into case studies. Reflect as a team on what can be done better going forward. 5. Clarify Accountability, Not Punishment   People should own their work — but that ownership should empower improvement, not fear. The Impact Is Profound: ✅ Innovation Thrives People are more willing to take thoughtful risks, experiment, and share bold ideas. ✅ Engagement Increases When employees know they won’t be shamed for missteps, they bring their full selves to work. ✅ Root Causes Are Solved Blame often hides the real problem. A no-blame approach digs deeper to find lasting solutions. ✅ Stronger Collaboration Teams work together, not against each other. Trust becomes the foundation of every conversation. Fostering a no-blame culture doesn’t mean accepting poor performance — it means separating people from problems, and focusing on solutions. Let’s stop asking “Who’s at fault?” and start asking “How can we get better?”

Breaking the Cycle of Finger-Pointing: Building a Culture of Accountability and Collaboration One of the most corrosive patterns in any business is a culture of finger-pointing and deflection. When challenges arise, instead of solving the problem, time gets wasted assigning blame. Energy shifts from collaboration to defensiveness. Innovation stalls, morale drops, and the best people quietly start looking for the door. The truth is, blame rarely fixes the issue. What drives real progress is accountability paired with collaboration. So how do we shift from finger-pointing to forward-thinking? Model accountability at the top. Leaders must own their decisions, admit when things go wrong, and show that accountability is not a punishment, but a pathway to growth. Create safe spaces for dialogue. Teams need to feel they can raise concerns or mistakes without fear of public shaming. Psychological safety unlocks honest conversations that solve problems faster. Focus on the “what,” not the “who.” Root-cause analysis, retrospectives, and structured problem-solving redirect the energy from blame to understanding and prevention. Celebrate shared wins. When success is recognized as the result of collaboration, people become less interested in protecting their silo and more motivated to work together. Reinforce accountability as a positive value. This isn’t about punishment—it’s about trust, transparency, and shared responsibility. When businesses replace finger-pointing with accountability and collaboration, something powerful happens: problems get solved faster, trust deepens, and the entire organization becomes more resilient. In today’s fast-changing world, the companies that thrive will be those where people stop asking “Who’s to blame?” and start asking “How can we fix this together?” #leadership #accountability #culture