Are You Falling Down the Victim Ladder?

In my last WOW, I mentioned the ‘victim ladder’ and got feedback that you want to learn more about it. I was introduced to this concept by a consultant we brought in a few years ago, during the midst of a huge change at Prophit Co. Originally attributed to Senn Delaney, a consulting firm, the victim ladder is the dark side or seedy underbelly, if you will, of the accountability ladder.

To explain how it works, let’s say a project at work failed recently. You may find yourself at the bottom of the ladder blaming others and making excuses for what happened. “Well, it was John’s fault! If he had gotten back to me sooner we could’ve caught this! And, what did they expect? If they looked at my workload they would realize that I don’t have time to do enough checks and balances right now.” At this stage, you’re operating under a victim mindset where things are happening to you.

Now, step up a few rungs. At the middle of the ladder you’re in a neutral spot. You can see the top of the ladder and the bottom and can understand some positives in your predicament and some negatives. You’re able to acknowledge reality and feel a little more empowered. That dark shroud has partly lifted and you see some sunlight starting to peek through.

Now, imagine yourself climbing up to the very top of the ladder. Here, you can see far and wide. You feel powerful, like you can do anything. You’re motivated to take action and can truly own the situation. You suddenly see new ways to make future projects better and are ready to make it happen.

We only have one life. How do you want to live yours—as a victim? Or are you ready to climb the ladder and choose positivity?

JOE KIEDINGER

ACTION PLAN: Open the doors to opportunity. We can walk you through it!