Excuses

"No one believes your excuses except for you."

What is the difference between an explanation and an excuse? The answer follows, but the question is enough to prompt thoughts of all the times you've opened up the good old, dog eared book of excuses to seemingly justify why something didn't go the way you had hoped or planned. Often it seems that the only person you're trying to satisfy is yourself.

Excuses are usually pulled out when a performance didn't meet the mark, standard or outcome that you hoped or expected it to...which perhaps also begs the question as to whose expectations you were trying to meet in the first place? Anyway, there are usually contributing reasons why people don't reach their goals, some of which are very valid, and some of which you have little control over. However, the way you deal with these reasons is the key to the difference between an explanation and an excuse.

An explanation is where you take ownership of the obstacles, understand and accept the impact they have - and your own role in the performance - and head to the drawing board to work out a way of working with - not against - the reason for a performance outcome, so that next time those barriers to a good result are broken down.

An excuse is where you blame anything and anyone - other than yourself - for why things didn't go right. You prefer to pass the buck and responsibility on so your conscience is clear, but you miss the chance for a reality check on the contributing factors to the performance you're giving excuses for.

The essence of the difference is our perspective and attitude towards the performance, and in particular our role in the outcome...and being honest about our actual capabilities.

Excuses are tiring to hear, negative, and add little value to understanding what actually happened. But taking ownership for your performance means there is no need for any excuses, and provide real feedback you can use as a positive input to preparation for your next performance. So get over your excuses because no one believe them except for you.