Why I Take Blame For Every Employee Mistake

I once had a graphic designer follow my instructions perfectly, and I wanted to scream.

I'd asked him to put content on "one side" of a postcard and different content on "the other side." He split the postcard down the middle. Left side, right side. Done.

What I meant was front and back.

My first instinct? This guy doesn't get it. But then I caught myself doing something most managers never do. I put the spotlight on myself.

The Shelly Lazarus Moment

Years ago, I heard Shelly Lazarus, former CEO of Ogilvy Mather, say something that changed how I think about business decisions entirely.

"There are very few inherently right or wrong decisions. There are just decisions. Once you've made the decision, it's up to you to make it right."

This applies double to hiring humans.

You can follow every best practice in the book. Thorough vetting, multiple interview rounds, reference checks, personality assessments. You can do everything right and still end up with someone who doesn't work out.

Because we're dealing with humans. And humans are beautifully, frustratingly unpredictable.

The Math Nobody Talks About

Here's what the hiring experts won't tell you: 70% of new employees decide if a job is the right fit within the first month. That includes 29% who know within the first week.

So while you're perfecting your hiring process, trying to avoid the "wrong" decision, your new hire is making their own decision about you.

The brutal truth? No company has ever achieved a 100% hiring success rate. The more people you hire, the higher the probability you'll get someone who doesn't work out.

It's a math game.

The 90/10 Rule That Changes Everything

At Katuva, we operate on a simple principle: 90% of your problems come from bad systems, not bad people. The other 10% are bad people.

This isn't just feel-good management philosophy. Quality pioneer W. Edwards Deming proved that 94% belongs to the system, with workers responsible for only 6% of quality problems.

When someone screws up, I assume I'm the problem first.

Maybe I didn't communicate clearly enough. Maybe I didn't give them the right tools. Maybe my instructions were as confusing as asking someone to put content on "one side" of a postcard.

The PEP Talk Protocol

We call it our Performance Enhancement Protocol. But it's really just taking responsibility for outcomes instead of pointing fingers.

When that postcard project went sideways, I had two choices. Blame the designer for not reading my mind, or admit that "one side" and "the other side" could reasonably mean left and right.

I chose option two.

I made a video showing exactly what I meant. Flipping the paper over. Front to back. The designer got it immediately and never made that mistake again.

It's humbling to realize you're the problem. Your ego wants to be right, to be the person in charge making good decisions. But we're all fallible humans.

The key insight? Your virtual assistant is on your team, not sitting across from you as a combatant.

When Systems Fail

Sometimes, after multiple course corrections and clear communication, you realize it really is the person, not the system.

A designer consistently delivers work that meets your specifications but lacks quality. A VA repeatedly ignores standard operating procedures despite clear documentation.

That's your 10%.

When you hit that point, you cut your losses and move on. But you analyze what went wrong. Was there something in your system that could have caught this earlier? Could your communication have been better?

You're constantly refining, knowing the next hire will be better because you learned something.

The Counterintuitive Truth

Most managers spend enormous energy trying to avoid hiring mistakes. But 69% of employees are more likely to stay three years if they have a positive onboarding experience.

Your energy is better spent making decisions work than making perfect decisions.

When we get to our top three candidates, they're all viable. We go with our gut, get them working, and focus on making that decision right through clear communication and solid systems.

Let the chips fall where they may.

The Real Best Practice

The best practice that actually works? Accept that hiring humans is a flawed premise from the start.

You'll never eliminate hiring mistakes. But you can eliminate the paralysis that comes from trying to make perfect decisions in an imperfect world.

Set your ego aside. Take responsibility for outcomes. Build systems that assume communication will break down and humans will interpret things differently than you intended.

When something goes wrong, put the spotlight on yourself first. Ask what you could have done better. Most of the time, you'll find the answer.

And when you don't? When it really is that 10%? Cut your losses, learn what you can, and make the next decision better.

Because there are just decisions. And once you've made them, it's up to you to make them right.