Poor Excuses, Poor Leaders Can Break Workplace Relationships

The reason I couldn't get this done was because...

I apologize but I couldn't...

You should have seen the traffic...sorry I couldn't...

I really wish I could....

You see, what had happened was...

I was unable to get that completed due to....

We have all heard the valid excuses as well as the invalid ones.  What were the solutions that the worker came up with to get the project done?  What decision had been reached?  Did things eventually run smoothly?  Was the excuse a valid one and what efforts are being made to resolve the issue?

Nothing is ever resolved with the poor excuse maker unless you jump right in and do some things yourself!  He or she doesn't know how to come up with a plan.  The excuse maker either doesn't know how to problem solve or doesn't want to.  Excuses show up in full force when an employee is unhappy, unreasonable, difficult, or simply lazy.  We don't always know what is occurring emotionally and/or physically with a worker until he or she is tested.

A once great working relationship goes up in flames when a person cares more about self rather than the collective especially during a time when he or she is needed the most.  Managers, supervisors, co-workers and others begin to formulate their personal opinions.  They assume the worse, "He is unreliable...she is untrustworthy...They are lazy!"  Too many excuses and heads begin to roll.

The one who is listening to the excuse whether valid or invalid can be a poor listener.  Not only is the workplace challenge eating up a lot of time and money, but now the one who simply jumps to conclusions and falsely assumes someone is a liar, lazy or something else isn't handling the problem either.  Throwing words at a situation without action won't make the problem go away!  Asking one's self, "How can I resolve the issue?" is better than saying, "What the?  Who the f&ck is responsible?  That son of a...!"  Where is your plan, Leader?

Sometimes excuses show up because there wasn't any contingency plan from the start!  In the event, this happens, what should we do?  What are the tools we can identify to solve this problem?  How many hands do we need on deck?  How much will this cost us?  What requirements can we put in place that won't push people into wanting to cover for themselves?

Excuses are also covers for what is really wrong with a workplace relationship that appeared like it was good at one point when it really wasn't ever.  For instance, an employee may not want to assist another employee because they don't like who they work for, may be fearful of ramifications or being taken advantage of, or may also be looking elsewhere for employment.  Workers begin to stop putting their best foot forward when they feel the following:  a lack of respect, overworked, manipulated, or abused.  The frequent excuse such as:  "I couldn't come to work because..." may not always be an issue going on at home, but how about someone who simply fell out of love with the job.

Nicholl McGuire
Author of What Else Can I Do on the Internet and this blog owner.