Years ago, someone told me that there is a difference between the realities of a situation and excuses–excuses are things we “make up” our selves to justify why we are or are not doing something, while the realities of a situation are just that–realities–facts and logistics that exist that we really do have to cope with. In our home businesses there will be plenty of circumstances and situations that we have to manage and wrestle with, but making excuses can hurt our businesses…
Sure, plenty of things are going to happen while we are doing business that are beyond our sphere of control and influence–we’re going to make mistakes, the market is going to shift, a supplier is going to go out of business. But facing and coping with situations and circumstance does not require us to make excuses. People know when we’re making excuses and trying to cover up–it is far better to face things as they are.
So, what constitutes and excuse? “It was too early or too late; I ran out of time; it fell off my plate; things are crazy around here; etc.” You get the picture. I have to tell you that I have much more respect for someone who just lays things out honestly and says “I didn’t get your order filled because I took the day off” or “The price of this item is going up because the supplier is charging me more for packaging.” That is a tangible situation or circumstance that can be accepted and addressed. Excuses tend to feel like a cover-up or a refusal to take control of the things that can be controlled (all the while letting go of the things that can’t.) In our home businesses, people know when we are making excuses and they will likely not respond favorably.
Also: Does Autonomy Compromise Professionalism?