The reality in life and in business is that we will always have reasons to give excuses at one time or the other. Interestingly, some of the excuses we give in life when we fail to attain or achieve some goals may appear to be what I call “good reasons”. So, as a result of this “good reasons” mindset, many people will be tempted to justify their actions especially when failure has occurred. But the truth is whether we have “good reasons” or “bad reasons”, when failure has occurred, it has indeed occurred and no amount of excuse or justification will turn things around. And this brings me to the thrust of my message – no one will excuse his or her way to success. This means, no organisation can be successful by having barrage of excuses. Trying to excuse one’s way to success will be akin to one deliberately stopping his wristwatch or time piece and expecting to have accuracy of time, or worst still believing that other people’s time piece would stop all because he chose to stop his.
Interestingly, when we are not doing what we ought to be doing for ourselves or for our businesses, others are doing them – same applies to your organisation. It is surprising to know that many people in organisations today have not realised that life does not reward intentions without actions. More often than not, our natural proclivity is to give ourselves permission to say what we want to do or intend to do but fail short of carrying them out. Some individuals and employees in organisations who procrastinate and at the same time give excuses for poor performance are being unfair to themselves and their organisations. This is because they are short changing the growth of their organisations to their own peril and at the same short changing their potentials.
Most people are caught in the web of excuses majorly because they have not been measuring themselves based on results. They have not been measuring their input based on the result the organisation is getting. As a matter of fact, some do not even care to know what is going on in their organisations as long as they are being paid as at when due. We should begin to measure our successes or failures based on the results we generate either for ourselves or for our organisations. Measuring success or failure as a function of results basically means that we are taking a tough, end point approach to self-evaluation. Funnily enough that is how the world has been measuring us. No one or an organisation can set its own rules or laws; the world, the customers and even the shareholders have set the rules. And importantly, they have the ability even without our permission to enforce them on us.
If we are to start measuring our lives based on results that will make us to stop giving or taking excuses from other people. The truth is that anyone when given an opportunity can come up with one excuse or the other for poor performance. I have been a proponent of running one’s organisations as if it is one’s business. This is because having ownership thinking helps us to do more and equally go the extra mile for our organisations. So, you can see that most excuses we give some times are based on the fact that the organisation does not belong to us – and we don’t have a stake, but we seriously do – everyone in the organisation does. Usually, I believe that everyone that earns a salary in an organisation deserves to show ownership mentality and should strive for the organisation’s sustainability
Again, giving excuses do not only affect our organisations but also ourselves in that it makes us losers. Because losers do not normally take actions when they should, and remember when you are not taking actions, others are taking. It is also the same thing as saying when we do not treat our customers’ right, our competitors are ready and eager to put smiles on their faces – and ultimately grab them from us.
Finally, to improve on our performances, everyone in your organisation would as a matter of concern and responsibility to your dear organisation forego giving excuses and start taking well defined actions. We should remember the time-honoured formula: Be, Do & Have. Meaning BE committed, DO what it takes, and you will HAVE what you want. Instead of making excuses, we should resolve within ourselves to take the first step, make the effort and be persistent in the pursuit of your goals. When we make excuses and are losing, it is a pointer that another organisation is winning and ultimately it means that winning still takes place. The winning might as well happen to us, but it’s not going to happen by accident, it will never happen when we give excuses no matter how glamorous those excuses are, winning will only happen because we made it happen. It will happen because you know what you want and move towards it in a strategic, consistent, meaningful, purposeful manner. Take action, and insist on results and avoid excuses. You and your organisation will be better for it.
Remember that everyone has one excuse or the other to give, but until we rise above our excuses and take responsibility and ownership of the outcome, our organisation might end up operating below average – while those that have risen above the excuses of others will operate above average.
Finally, remember that excuses abound for all the players, but it is only those that have ownership mentality of the business that can see to it that the organisation thrives regardless of any circumstance.
Let this ownership mentality be a key driving force for everyone in your organisation.
Feel free to share your views or perspectives.
The trusted advisor,
UJU ONWUZULIKE
