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Koko is one of the world’s most famous gorillas. Born in 1971 at the San Francisco zoo, she lived 46 years, enjoying most of her life at The Gorilla Foundation’s preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
What made Koko famous was her ability to communicate using American Sign Language. Koko knew more than 1,000 signs and could understand approximately 2,000 words spoken in English. Her vocabulary equaled that of a 3-year-old human. Koko used language the same way people do, even deploying her language skills to avoid responsibility. One morning, video cameras captured Koko playing around in her cage and sitting on the sink. Due to her weight, the sink ripped away from the wall. Later, when her caregiver asked her about it, Koko blatantly lied by signing, “Kate did it.” She accused Kate, the assistant trainer! It seems that deflecting blame to avoid responsibility is a tactic we’ve been leveraging since before we could walk upright. Because responsibility feels like a gateway to judgment and criticism, it’s understandable that our first reaction is to declare, “Not my fault!” and then point the finger at someone else. Likewise, no one wants to be schooled or shamed into accepting responsibility or embracing constructive criticism. Even “holding people accountable” feels pejorative. People need a reason to own their actions. The best reason? To improve their future. When you hear blaming, excusing, justifying, rationalizing, or defending, ask:
Accountability is the maturity to own our past actions in order to create and improve our future ones. Koko didn’t get it, but we can! © 2021. Ann Tardy and Mentor Lead. www.mentorlead.com |