This is the second in a series of regular columns by Allen written especially for this site. I've always wanted JSN readers to contribute regular articles and was thrilled that he of all people volunteered to publish them. If anyone else wishes to do the same, let me know and I'll be happy to include here.

Author: Allen Ward
See also: On Ventilation

"Success has many fathers. Failure is an orphan.”

It's an old saying, I"m not sure who coined it. In my thirty-odd years of working for a living, I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count. And now we have the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. As the body count mounts, so does the blame.

We can certainly argue that it’s natural to point fingers at the alleged fathers of this failure, this catastrophe. We see the dead, we see the poisonous waters, and we are naturally angry. But does this anger resolve the situation, serve the greater good, and create a better future for everyone involved? My answer would be “No.”

A man I work with recently explained to me the three levels of blame.

A man I work with recently explained to me the three levels of blame. The first level is from the quote that starts this essay. It is ”blame shifting”, like when an airline passenger becomes angry about an air traffic flow control delay into Chicago, and decides to blame a flight attendant or a ticket agent. Blame shifting has nothing to do with right or wrong, and it is often sensational and melodramatic.

The second level of blame is “cause and effect”. In its purest form, it is un-emotional. In that respect, it is far less attractive than blame shifting, since it is devoid of sensationalism, and rarely is there a single villain. What it lacks in melodrama, it makes up for it in objective accuracy.  For instance, a cause and effect analysis of our Air Traffic Control system reveals a long history of missteps, mistakes, bi-partisan political pork, and just plain bad politics on every level from Des Moines to Chicago to D.C. However, it is not enough to properly affix blame. We need solutions that work.

And that’s the third level of blame, that is, “no-blame only solutions”. In this mode, we only remember the past long enough to learn from it, so that we do not repeat the mistakes of history. A true problem solver is not stuck in the past. In this approach, we simply ask ourselves, “What is our goal? What will it take to achieve those goals?” And finally, “Let’s roll up our sleeves, and get to work.” See how simple this is? This is how people get things done. They build great cities, societies, organizations, and companies. And in some cases, they rebuild things, like New Orleans. Check the history books and you will find that New Orleans has been rebuilt more times than probably any other U.S. city.

It’s worth it.