Organizations often talk about continuous improvement, but what if they’re unknowingly following a different kind of cycle—one that guarantees nothing actually improves? Enter the BLOW Cycle (Blame, Legitimize, Overcomplicate, Withdraw), a surefire way to create confusion, frustration, and zero progress.
What is the BLOW Cycle?
The BLOW Cycle is the opposite of structured problem-solving methods like PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act). Instead of focusing on real solutions, it follows a path of misplaced priorities and management theatrics. Let’s break it down:
1. Blame – Announce and Assign Fault
Every great (or not-so-great) initiative starts with blaming someone else. Instead of identifying root causes, leadership kicks off a new project by:
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Blaming past leadership, employees, or external factors.
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Making grand statements like “If only people had done things correctly, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
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Setting unrealistic goals without real planning.
🔹 Classic BLOW Phrases:
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“This team has been underperforming, so we need drastic change!”
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“Previous leadership just didn’t have the vision we have.”
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“It’s not the process—it’s the people not following it!”
2. Legitimize – Justify with Buzzwords & Flimsy Logic
Once the blame is placed, the next step is to justify decisions with corporate jargon and cherry-picked success stories.
How it works:
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Reference vague case studies (“A Fortune 500 company did this, so it must work!”).
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Use terms like synergy, world-class, best practices, and innovation, even if they don’t apply.
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Ignore concerns by making a PowerPoint presentation filled with meaningless arrows and circles.
🔹 Common Justifications:
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“Our competitors are doing something similar, and we can’t fall behind!”
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“This new process is the future—trust me.”
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“We’ll have complete buy-in after the town hall meeting.”
3. Overcomplicate – Create Unnecessary Bureaucracy & Confusion
No initiative is complete without excessive procedures and unrealistic requirements. This step ensures that employees spend more time filling out forms than actually solving problems.
How to overcomplicate effectively:
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Write a 100-page SOP no one will read.
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Require multiple approvals for even the simplest tasks.
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Schedule meetings to discuss when to schedule more meetings.
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Make sure no one really knows who is accountable.
🔹 Signs of Overcomplication:
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Employees spend more time on documentation than real work.
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Managers argue over process compliance rather than solving problems.
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Projects stall because of endless approvals.
4. Withdraw – Quietly Drop the Initiative and Blame Others
When the inevitable failure happens, the best course of action is to quietly abandon the initiative. If questioned, management will:
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Call it a learning experience or blame external conditions.
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Form a task force to “investigate” what went wrong (which will never conclude).
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Prepare an even bigger, flashier initiative to distract from the failure.
🔹 Typical BLOW Cycle Endings:
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“People just didn’t embrace the change.”
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“It was a great idea, but the execution wasn’t right.”
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“The market conditions weren’t favorable for this approach.”
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“We’re pivoting to a new strategy!”
How to Avoid the BLOW Cycle?
If you recognize these patterns in your workplace, it’s time for a change! Instead of following the BLOW Cycle, organizations should focus on real process improvement:
✅ Conduct root cause analysis before making decisions.
✅ Keep processes simple, clear, and effective.
✅ Involve the right people in decision-making.
✅ Accept failure as a learning opportunity instead of assigning blame.
If your organization is stuck in the BLOW Cycle, the best strategy is to step back, rethink, and start fresh with real improvement strategies!