What’s Your Excuse?
Ever deliver something for someone, knowing full well it wasn’t on time, or on budget, or maybe not quite what they were expecting? What did you tell them was the reason for not fulfilling your promise? At some point, you made a choice to fail. In most cases, all you could offer is an excuse. Maybe you dressed it up as an ‘explanation’ or tacked on a list of extenuating circumstances. Still an excuse. Lipstick on a pig and all that.
Reality? A Moment of truth – and you didn’t deliver.
That’s All I Can Do
…means, “that’s all I want to do, given my other priorities.” The easy way out is to say no. Fall back on process, policy, protocol. Then nothing has to change. And nothing will change.
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In response to projects, many organizations figure out the resources
they’ve got and then work hard to do something good enough.
On time, within budget. Meeting spec, after all, is your job.
You end up, if you’re talented, with something good enough.
Is that enough? Is good enough enough to win? To change the game?
To reinvent your organization and your career?
In a crowded market, when all the competition is good enough, not much happens.
(from Seth Godin here)
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What More Do You Want Me To Do?
…means, “you win, try to guilt me into doing more than I care to.” This is the defensive next step from “that’s all I can do.” Why would someone ask this question if they know they didn’t deliver on their promise? Again, they chose to give you less priority than they promised. Thanks.
The $10,000 Question
A college basketball coach was working with his star point guard on free throws. The player was averaging 50% the past two seasons. Really subpar. The coach asked why the player couldn’t get his percentage up above 80%. After all, the team needed his best efforts. The player argued that he was doing all he could. His ‘best’. The coach offered him $10,000 if he could get his free throw percentage above 80% for the season. The player stayed late after practice, worked on his shooting form each weekend, and did visualization exercises each morning for almost an hour. His free throw percentage was 83% that season. The player asked the coach about the $10,000. Of course, the coach wouldn’t pay – college athletics doesn’t allow for this. He pointed out to the player that the problem wasn’t one of skill, time, talent, or knowledge. Just motivation.
So, what’s your excuse for not doing the right thing, not giving world class effort to your organization, clients, managers, colleagues?
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This No Excuse theme plays out in “talent management” from Steve Roesler and in “giving your best effort” from Seth Godin.
Stumble it!
Joe Raasch :: Apr.02.2008 :: Change Management, Leadership, Life, Performance Management :: 4 Comments »
Joe,
You make a heck of a point here.
“On time, within budget” is often screamed from the mountaintops simultaneously with “Excellence”.
Does that mean that such organizations (or individuals) define “Excellence” as “On time, within budget”?!!!
This would be an interesting research project. . .
Hi Steve,
I like your line of thought here! Where would we be if people took the extra effort and exceeded their promises? Superior excellence, not sandbagging with the tired mantra, “under-promise and over-deliver.”
Systems routinely reward people for hitting the mark. Rarely for doing better. Why don’t organizations demand excellence?
Does that mean organizations have lowered the standards they expect from their employees? This soon leads down the slippery slope of employee apathy and entitlement.
Reminds me of a time I was sitting in the audience at an company awards ceremony. The person next to me leaned over and said, “how come all the awards go to people who go above and beyond their jobs? What about those of us that come in each day and just do our work?” I was stunned to silence – rare for me. I wanted to say, “it’s called a paycheck…”
- Joe
Hello Joe,
This is an excellent post, and I fully agree with what it says about how our actions tell the real story about our priorities – and how an intelligent manager can use that insight.
But Steve’s question about equating excellence with organizational standards, and your story about someone complaining about not being recognized as excellent for meeting those organizational standards brings up an interesting point.
There is no question as to the validity of your argument, and your illustration couldn’t illuminate it better. But there is also a fact that most of us aren’t superstar athletes actually or metaphorically, nor do we have nor can we be expected to routinely – as top-level athletes do – maintain a champion mindset.
Peter Drucker pointed out that in modern society organizations have proliferated to the point that virtually all aspects of public life are mediated through them, rather than through the state. This calls on the broader population to both fill their ranks and to manage them, rather than an elite.
And that, as Drucker pointed out, calls on us to develop the profession of management to the point where it can generate organizational excellence from the efforts of ordinary people.
This is an interesting topic you bring up – thought provoking – thanks!
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your thoughts on this! My point is the proliferation of excuses for not meeting organizational standards. You’re right, no way anyone can bring the “A game” all the time. This surely doesn’t mean we’re bad, just not exceptional that day.
Fostering and encouraging a system where coming up short is acceptable with conditions is where we need to move. Steve’s point about ‘ “Excellence” as “On time, within budget” ‘ and your follow-up uncover the Drucker view as setting the bar in a way that the organizational standard IS excellence.
It doesn’t matter the definition of excellence in standards (these amps go to eleven…). What matters is the way in which we meet these standards or do not meet them and have to explain…without excuses.
See you soon over at Managing Leadership!
Joe