Results or Excuses | Episode 010

"There are no desperate situations. There are only people who get despaired in certain situations."
Tibetan proverb
 
The preconceived notions with which managers approach reality would also determine what they will achieve at the end of the day. At the end of the day, there are either results or excuses. Failure to achieve results should not be confused with a lack of commitment. Not achieving the results may be a sign of poor resource planning or extra ad hoc demands.
Managers' ability to distinguish between objective impediments and fake ones will determine both the culture and the commitment to overcome obstacles and achieve results.
 
Managers will always get more of whatever they tolerate. They do not endure poor performance. They tolerate poor performance. They do not endure a lack of resources. They tolerate the lack of resources.
 
Getting into stories and drama can help Oscar nominees, but for people who want to focus on achieving specific goals, it can only lead to exhaustion and frustration.
 
Tolerating drama will lead to a drama-heavy working environment.
 
Tolerating productivity and high achievements will lead to more productivity.
 
Challenging circumstances are not reasons for failure. They are simply the environment within which people must achieve results. The special thing about excuses is that there is a dose of truth in them. The attention paid to them has the effect of throwing gasoline on the fire. It will only ignite it. And it will lead to flames, fires, and missed opportunities.
 
People's energy may go to making excuses why something cannot happen or just to make it happen.
 
Some usual excuses are:
- We do not have enough people;
- We do not have enough time;
- We do not have the understanding of the client;
- We are not clear on what exactly they want, etc.
 
Questions for your team that can help you turn excuses into a result-driven mindset:  
- Knowing that we do not have enough people, how can we achieve our goals, anyway?
- Knowing that we do not have enough time, how can we still achieve our goals?
- Knowing that we do not have an understanding of the client, how can we achieve our goals?
- Knowing that we do not have clarity on what exactly they need, what can we do to achieve our goals?
 
Managers may look at the excuses as a list of potential risks. Then they can focus on managing risks, not on drowning in a sea of ​​excuses.
 
The key element here is that managers should not rush to solve the problems of their people on autopilot. Rather, they should use the Socrates method and support their people to come up with solutions that are right for them.
 
It is enough to create clarity and a sense of urgency, and the results will come.
 
One barrier for people to enter 100% in finding solutions and acting is their unpleasant experience with a previous manager. One who has taken stories and apologies too much into account, rather than working to increase the capacity of his team to overcome those excuses. Some people develop a conditional reflex for finding excuses that lead them into the spiral of self-fulfilling negative prophecies.
 
You must help your team make the turnaround. To turn the excuses into reason for success. Then, as people turn every excuse into a reason for their success, they will have a greater sense of control over what is happening to them. They will become active instead of passive participants - not only in their work but also in their life.