How often have you encountered someone who’s taken the “whataboutism” approach in conversation or conflict with coworkers or employees? If you’ve lost count, they’re likely destabilizing your organization’s culture.

Whataboutism is more than a clever portmanteau, validated by the fact that the blended term was entered into the Merriam-Webster dictionary in October of 2021. In a nutshell, whataboutism is “a reversal of accusation, arguing that an opponent is guilty of an offense just as egregious or worse.”

Those who use whataboutisms in their workplace interactions typically pit two wrongs against one another, spinning their side to be the more virtuous of the wrongdoings and, therefore, not wrong at all. Professional grade whatabouters are masterful in the art of distorting the truth and veering off to dizzying irrelevance. There’s a reason you feel exhausted after listening to them.

By attempting to deflect the focus off one’s behavior, the whatabouter sows doubt and works to discredit those they perceive as a threat. You know you’re in the presence of one if they respond to being held to account with accusations of hypocrisy while steering clear from disproving or refuting factual arguments.

Examples of whataboutism are in no short supply. In politics, especially, where whataboutism started, the tactic is used to justify alarming behavior and policies with clear intent to inflict harm, seek favor, and gain power over people, usually a combination of all three.  In the workplace, whataboutism may not spur a red flag flagrant foul, nonetheless, it’s aggressive.

Just as whataboutism wreaks havoc in global conflict and political discourse it makes the job of a public health official excruciating when invoked in arguments that equate the number of deaths each year from influenzas to the coronavirus pandemic. When tolerated in a workplace, the impact on morale, performance, retention, and optimism is evident. Over time, when whataboutism is permitted to permeate conference rooms and Zoom meetings, trust and confidence become casualties of the culture that dismisses it as “that’s just the way they are.”

You know how to spot Whataboutism. Now how do you stop it?

There’s no need to try and dive into the mind of a whatabouter. Instead, what’s more useful when working to rid your culture of this unproductive behavior is to understand where the individual registers on the emotional intelligence spectrum. Do they demonstrate a lack of empathy, self-awareness, social responsibility, and impulse control? Are they the source for hijacking meetings, dominating conversation, and putting up roadblocks when change is needed?

You likely have learned by now that there is no sense arguing with a whatabouter. On the contrary, the more challenged they feel, the harder they press forward with their fictional account and work overtime to recruit others to get on board with what they’re selling. After all, building a coalition of believers is straight from the playbook of the most formidable whatabouters.

Because whataboutery is a faulty reasoning technique designed to create chaos rather than build a reasonable argument for an opposing view or action, leaders must create an organizational strategy that liberates its workplace from those who use whataboutism or similar measures to control others and outcomes, avoid consequence, and take team members down with the ship when they’re called out.

In a culture where personal and shared responsibility is valued and rewarded, employees who deliberately and consistently use out-of-scope counterarguments may not be as great a threat to the organization as a cyber-attack; however, their ability to disrupt should not be underestimated.

When deciding how to manage a whatabouter, there are a few questions organizational leaders can ask of themselves:

  • Has this individual’s name come up more than once as the reason why others have left the organization or requested a transfer?
  • Does this individual demonstrate a willingness to acknowledge their behavior and commit to addressing it? What proof do I have to confirm this declaration?
  • What example am I setting by allowing this behavior to continue?
  • Am I prepared for the fallout of not holding this individual accountable?
  • Why am I tolerating this behavior from a member of this team?

For leaders working to stabilize their organizations after over two years of a pandemic, political polarization at home, and a world in crisis, dealing with the whatabouters at work may not seem to rise to the top of the priority list of things to do. But, in truth, and in being realistic, creating and sustaining a healthy work environment requires its leaders to root out whataboutism.

Not all whatabouters are equal.

If there is clear and convincing evidence that an individual is open to coaching and development, if their behavior has yet to become a distracting pattern, an investment in their growth, of course with their full and authentic participation, can turn out to be a win for all. In addition, you might be surprised at how forgiving team members can be when they experience positive, sustained shifts in coworkers’ behavior and communication.

In the end, the most critical question to ask and answer is, “does the pain of letting them go outweigh the risk of allowing them to stay?”