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Fact or excuse? It depends.

May 9, 2012 by Doug Fleener — President and Managing Partner, Dynamic Experiences Group, LLC

While working with executives, owners and managers I hear a lot of reasons why something did or did not happen. Recently I've noticed that sometimes it feels like the person is making an excuse, but at other times it seems like the person is just stating facts. Why the difference, I wonder, since to some degree both groups are just sharing information.

The difference, I've come to understand, lies in whether or not the person owns their results.

People who give excuses believe that something or someone else caused him/her to fail. The person who states facts is explaining why he/she failed. They own the results, or the lack thereof.

I'm not sure the people who give excuses even know they're doing so most of the time. They probably think they're sharing facts, but since they, whether or not they realize it, don't own their results it's just an excuse.

Most people can't own their results because of how they perceive failure. Failing, to them, is seen as a weakness. Of course nobody likes to fail, but claiming a failure when it happens is actually a strength.

If you own your results you have the power to change them. If you can't, or won't, own your results then you've given away that power. You're a victim. Hence the excuse.

Interestingly, I see more excuses than facts when it comes to managing people. I constantly hear owners and managers talk about their staff as if those people don't even work for them. Hello???? They work for you!

Believe me, I am not trying to simplify managing people. It's not easy. But again, if you don't own your staff's outputs and results then you don't have the power to change it.

The power to change begins when you stop avoiding confrontation and address the issue. Or maybe I should say, stop thinking there is going to be confrontation and address the issue. More confrontation happens in the owner or manager's head than occurs during an actual conversation.

Owning your results doesn't immediately fix the issue. It's just the first step. But when you understand the facts of an issue or problem and you're not making excuses, you are well on your way to changing. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you keep the power.

So let me ask, do you own your results? The answer is in your facts or your excuses.

About Doug Fleener

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