Well known case study number 1: Do you remember the story of the music agent who turned down the opportunity to manage The Beatles, citing the excuse that groups with 3 guitarists and a drummer were passé?

Lesser known case study number 2: At least two young Hollywood stars turned down the chance to take the lead roles in La La Land, the film that is set to sweep 2017 Oscars awards.

Now I assume that many of you are thinking: “What crass idiots people can be. These are mega mistakes!”

Well, I agree that an error of judgment was made. If the same people were to repeat these considerations, then I feel that they are making a mistake. And that is when their decision-making process must be called into question.

Back to reality as most of us are not on the level of celeb pop groups and actors. However, we all face such issues regularly and they are equally important for us within our own paradigms. And yet we are quick to place blame, maybe when we should not do so. Here’s what I mean.

I am a business coach and mentor, with many of my clients situated in and around Jerusalem. Whether a classified SME or a larger corporation, I have several CEOs too ready to blame their employees – and sometimes myself also – for things that go wrong. A “mistake” has been made, and it is awful!

Rethink. More frequently, all that happened was that an error occurred. Yes, it should not have done so, but also reflect that it was probably a one-off action. Before rushing off to criticise, I ask the CEO to consider how many times they have thanked their staff for all the good things that these workers have done.

And if it is a mistake that has happened repeatedly, who really is to blame? The person at the centre of the storm, or the senior manager and supervisor? Ouch, mega times over, because this often means YOU, the CEO!