Retconning at Work
When work goes sideways, we often rewrite the story to make it easier to live with.
TJ Kastning
In comic books, retconning happens when the writer changes a character’s backstory to make the plot work. It’s a revision of history, a way of saying, “This is how it’s always been,” even if it wasn’t.
The same thing happens at work. When things don’t go to plan, people on both sides of the employment table start rewriting the story.
- An employer might say: “We always knew this person wasn’t the right fit.”
- An employee might say: “I was never given the tools to succeed here.”
Both stories can hold partial truth. Both can also be convenient rewrites that keep us from facing harder realities.
Why We Do It
Retconning is a natural response to disappointment or uncertainty. It softens failure, helps us preserve identity, and explains setbacks in a way that feels safer. In the short term, that protection helps us keep moving.
The Problem with Self-Protective Retconning
When we rely on retconning as our default, accountability gets lost.
- Leaders may never confront the gaps in their interview process or onboarding.
- Employees may never face the habits, skill gaps, or communication breakdowns that contributed.
The result is a story that explains, but doesn’t teach. It keeps us safe but stuck.
How to Notice and Respond
- Name it. Recognize when the story you’re telling is more revision than reflection.
- Ask the growth question. Does this version help me improve, or just protect me?
- Hold both sides. Few outcomes are one-sided. Lasting growth usually comes from shared accountability.
- Rewrite forward. Instead of retconning the past, write the next chapter differently—better preparation, clearer expectations, stronger support, more honest feedback.\
The Opportunity
Retconning at work is not a moral failing,it’s a signal. It shows us that something didn’t meet expectations and that our brains are scrambling to explain why. The opportunity is to notice the instinct, honor it, and then move past it into accountability.
When both leaders and employees stop rewriting the past to protect themselves and instead write the future with self-accountability first, that’s when real progress begins.
