At Cause or At Effect
The Mindset That Changes Everything at Work
14 years post-MBA, I left A.T. Kearney (a global management consulting firm now known as Kearney) to join Bain & Co. in Chicago as a lateral-hire partner. I thought I knew a fair amount about being a partner in a major consulting firm and about my industry area of focus, retail. But I also knew that I would need to adapt to my new surroundings, learn more about Bain’s strong and distinct culture, and understand more about the cultural and operating attributes that routinely landed it at the top of the major Best Place to Work surveys (and still does). One of my early learnings was the distinction between being at cause and being at effect. Bain performance reviews routinely commented on behaviors around these two descriptors, and I quickly learned the value of thinking in these terms. It was one of many valuable things I learned in my ten years at Bain.
In every workplace conversation—from performance reviews to project setbacks—there’s often a quiet, unspoken choice being made. Are you at cause, or are you at effect? This distinction, subtle but powerful, is one I frequently introduce to my executive coaching clients. Understanding it—and learning how to shift into “at cause” thinking—is a lever for greater agency, clearer communication, and stronger leadership. It’s not a judgment of character, but a lens to help see more clearly how we’re showing up and where we might need to recalibrate.
Let’s unpack what it means to be “at cause” or “at effect,” and how these two modes show up in professional life.
What Does It Mean to Be At Cause?
To be at cause means operating with a sense of ownership, responsibility, and personal agency. It doesn’t mean you control every situation (you don’t), but it does mean you’re willing to own your part in how you respond, contribute, and adapt.
An “at cause” professional might say:
“Here’s what I can do to move this forward.”
“I didn’t anticipate that risk—next time I’ll flag it earlier.”
“I can see how I contributed to the tension in that meeting.”
This mindset is empowering. It aligns with emotional intelligence, strategic leadership, and resilience. It doesn’t mean blaming yourself for every hiccup—it means looking first at your own actions as a place of influence and possibility.
What Does It Mean to Be At Effect?
To be at effect is to live more in reaction than intention. It’s when we place the source of results outside ourselves—on other people, the organization, the market, the boss, the client, the team, the budget, the timing.
We all go there sometimes. Especially under pressure. It can sound like:
“I couldn’t make progress because the other team didn’t respond.”
“There’s nothing I can do until leadership makes a decision.”
“This isn’t fair—I’ve done everything right.”
“The team I am working with is not pulling their weight.”
When we’re at effect, we feel stuck. We outsource our agency. We may be technically right in our frustration—but we’re also giving away our power to influence outcomes. It’s a mindset trap.
Why This Matters at Work (and Beyond)
Here’s my experience: People who consistently operate from “at cause” thinking are more likely to be promoted, trusted, and seen as strategic. They’re perceived as leaders—even if they’re not in formal leadership roles.
Meanwhile, people stuck in “at effect” mode, however competent, often feel invisible, resentful, or burned out. They struggle to influence because their energy is going to complaint, not creative problem-solving.
I’ve written before about the formative experience of rowing on my college crew. One of the reasons our crew was successful, I believe, is that we all were at cause, not effect. When we prepared for each race, we knew that we each had a responsibility - to be at peak personal performance, to be mentally prepared, to make weight (I rowed lightweight crew, so we had a pre-race weigh-in), and to have a burning desire to win. But we also knew that we could only win together, and that no individual statistics were kept. So training and preparation felt very at cause; there was no point in only going through the motions of training. And if we did lose a race, we didn’t blame teammates or our coaches for screwing up. Each of us examined what we could personally do to improve for the next race. As a result, we were a very cohesive crew, and we won… a lot.
This isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending hard things aren’t hard. It’s about deciding which questions to ask:
🔄 “Why is this happening to me?”
✅ “What’s mine to do here?”
Practicing “At Cause” Thinking
Here are a few ways you can build this habit:
Audit Your Language
Pay attention to how you describe challenges. Are you using passive constructions or blaming language? Shift to active voice and ownership. Try:“I can’t control X, but I can control Y.”
“Given the constraints, here’s how I plan to proceed.”
Name the Impact You Want
Whether in a meeting, an email, or a performance review—get clear on your intended outcome. If your focus is only on obstacles, you’ll stay stuck. Set a direction and move toward it.Get Curious, Not Critical
When things go wrong, pause the self-judgment or blame spiral. Instead, ask:“What can I learn from this?”
“How did I contribute to this outcome—directly or indirectly?”
Use Coaching Partners or Accountability Structures
Many of my clients find it helpful to work with a coach, mentor, or peer who can reflect back where they’re defaulting to “at effect.” Simply asking, “What’s the part I own here?” can be a game-changer.
A Final Thought
Being “at cause” doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine or taking on more than is fair. It means choosing to lead from a place of influence, even when circumstances are imperfect. Especially when they’re imperfect.
So the next time something frustrating happens at work—an unclear directive, a delayed decision, a difficult team dynamic—ask yourself this:
Am I being at cause, or am I being at effect?
One answer keeps you stuck. The other can liberate you.
If this sparked something for you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What shifts when you choose to be at cause in your work? Leave a comment or reply to this email—I read every one.
—Josh Chernoff
Being "at cause" feels especially relevant in a situation where the outcome didn't go as planned. The leaders at work who own the situation, don't place blame, and instead look for solutions have always stood out to me. The ones who place the blame elsewhere or don't have their team's back also stand out...
The “at cause” mindset you describe perfectly embodies what I was taught at Target. When I first started at Target, I was taught to “own it”. Owning it meant that you owned your behavior, attitudes, and results. It feels very similar to what you learned at Bain.
The book QBQ (The Question Behind the Question) by John Miller also does a great job of reframing questions to shift from blame to personal responsibility.
Great post Josh.