One of my old bosses had got off the phone with a grunt and a scoff. " Any problems?" I asked with concern.
"Another baby adult, " she mumbled. Apparently, she had given out a project to someone to handle and the fellow had not met up with their agreement. Instead of apologizing, he found it more convenient to pass the blame to a third party. Excuses are the tiny little holes that end up forming the large bored holes on your trousers.
I know where your thoughts are straying. Anyone can disappoint, make mistakes and flop. This is true however when you fail to take responsibilities for your actions and push the blame to another fellow. You just bought your enrollment form into the 'baby adult league.'
This does not apply only at work. It transcends down to your business, relationships and way beyond your expectations.
Over the weekend, the scheduled elections in Nigeria was rescheduled due to mainly logistical challenges faced in deploying human and material resources for the conduct of the elections" according to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
This is the most pathetic excuse I have heard in ages. How could an electoral commission that had taken four years to prepare for the scheduled elections chicken out at the eleventh hour.
However, one good thing he was quoted to have said in this context was, "As Chairman of INEC, and on behalf of the Commission, we take full responsibility for what happened and we regret any inconvenience our decision might have caused," he said.
Excuses seek to lessen the blame attached to a fault or offence which poses it as an awful option. I find it more honourable to genuinely apologise. These phrases below gives you the 'mirror, mirror on the wall' reflection of one who makes excuses;
I don't know how to do it
This is a silent way to say. Hey! I am incompetent. The next time you are thinking of getting a job done, think about someone else.
I didn't think it was that important.
This says I didn't do what we agreed on because I am self-centered and arbitrary. The funny thing about humans is that we process information and understand situations in very different ways. This is also an easy way to get into the black book of a boss, client, colleague, or anyone.
Without mincing words, excuses are tools of the incompetent and those who specialize in them seldom go far. I have spent a better part of my life as a child gulping excuses of adults, so, I can sniff it the moment it's in the air.
Cowards make excuses, hide their heads in the sand, and generally take the easy way out. All actions have consequences. So does lack of action.
Being genuinely sorry and making up for it would look better on you.
GIF Credit: GIFSOUP
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