Excuses, excuses

Do you make excuses?

Before we read the article and learn some new English words, remember:

Here are the four common excuse-making patterns and how to avoid them.

1. Time & condition excuses 

Being late due to a routine rush hour isn’t the traffic’s fault; it’s mine. Before agreeing to a deadline, look at the external factors that will affect your ability to meet it. Come up with a plan to manage the conditions or renegotiate the deadline. Complaining about conditions you knew about in advance is just whining.

2. Claiming lack of skill or knowledge

Author Brené Brown says, “Asking for help is a power move.” Excuse-makers claim helplessness. Successful people ask questions in advance so they can get the job done.

3. Shifting blame 

“It’s not my fault,” it’s the most commonly uttered excuse in boardrooms and 8th grade classes alike. Whether it’s executives claiming they can’t control market conditions or a 14-year-old claiming her teacher wasn’t clear about the assignment. The only way to nip it in the bud is to STOP IT. Stop doing it and stop accepting it.

4. Questioning validity 

Someone promises to have it to you by Friday. Friday comes, they don’t have it. Instead they have all kinds of rationalizations for why it’s not important, why they shouldn’t have been asked, or why being late won’t harm the project. It’s an insidious, clever, and often subconscious way to shift blame.

Voculary

Rush hour – the times of day when roads are full of traffic.

Whining – to complain in an annoying way.

Uttered – to make (a particular sound).

Nip it in the bud – an expression that means stop it before it gets worse.