Excuses in Business

Excuses do not make good business sense. There is a difference between a reason and an excuse.  Many poor leaders use excuses to get out of tough situations.  Even worse, they accept excuses because they have set the example of giving them out.  They do not understand the difference between reason and excuse.


A reason is....the why with facts and a follow up plan.

An excuse is....the why with emotions and lacks confidence.

How do you fix this?

1-build action plans with specific measurable steps that are assigned to specific people
2-Admission of mistakes...they happen, people are people, not perfect. Admitting the mistake and moving on creates a more open and creative environment.
3- take time to Revise strategy, it may be what is needed to create a better product.
4-focus on Moving forward by bringing everyone along, ensuring that it all make sense to everyone involved. Take time asking and answering questions to obtain understanding.

In a nutshell, a good leader can build accomplishment by keeping focused on the vision that is grounded in culture-based values. If everyone is on the same page, with the same principles for guidance, the excuses go away quickly.

In the Tunnel

Is your Leader in a tunnel?

Tunnel Vision is a trap....some leaders fall into this trap when they are just starting out (some all the time).  The leader becomes so focused on what is in front of them that they see nothing and no one else. 

This leads to huge obstacles being ignored, momentum in other areas being underestimated, and potential flaws in the tunnel being under-alarming.

Leaders need perspective - and to keep the tunnel from closing in around them they need to look around on a regular basis....and you can help - show them what they are missing!

Customer Who?

The Not to DO leader loses site of the fact that there is more than one customer waiting for them everyday.  In fact, the Not to Do leader may not have much contact at all with the customer who pays the invoice - others are doing that for them.

The To Do Leader realizes that the end (external) customer, who pays for the product or services is just as important as the internal customer - peers, team members, service personnel, technicians.  Each person in the organization is a customer of one another - some directly, some indirectly.

It is by creating an atmosphere of customer service internally that the external service proposition offered to end users of the product or service benefits the most.

No longer are customers an interruption to anyone's day, the customer is the reason the day exists at all.

Celebrate 2011

Celebrate 2011!

May it be your BEST year yet!

from the Leadership NOT to Do Team