"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it 
If you can dream it, you can become it."   WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD


An excuse is not a reason!    August 24th, 2007


I have found myself facing a new series of challenges and seeking to explain ( all right, make excuses ) to those people and companies that we aren't doing everything we have promised to do. I came across a great article by James Dale in his stimulating book The Obvious that seems to put things into perspective for me.

So, next time you feel like making an excuse, have a quick read of this great advice, and you should know what to do.

No one really wants to hear about why you didn't do what you said you do - didn't close the deal, win the contract, ship on time, make projections, get to the meeting, return the call or email, pass inspection, lower loss ratios, retain your client, increase the dividend, or acquire a company instead of being acquired.

In fact, the only thing worse than not doing what you said you'd do, is relying on excuses to rationalize what happened ... or didn't. No matter what you say, it. ends up sounding like, "My dog ate my homework."

Excuses that don't cut it:

The unders: Under-staffed, under-financed, use stocked

The overs: Over-worked, over-leveraged, over-priced

The bads: Bad vendors, bad PR, bad boss. Bad client, bad morale, bad debts, bad advice - tax, legal

The nos: No budget controls, no business plan, contingency plan

The changes: Competition changed, market changed, economy changed

The personals: Flat tire, broken alarm clock. lost calendar, leaky pen, tooth/stomach/head ache

The moderns: Server crashed, computer virus. corrupted files, spyware, spam, jammed ink jet, bad mobile service, Courier lost package, GPS/Palm Pilot/Blackberry malfunction

None of these is a reason for coming up short.

They’re all just business facts of life. Companies are always under or over-staffed; finances are tight, or should be in a well-run company; prices are higher than some competitors, lower than others; expenses need to be controlled, inventory managed, clients retained, advice re-assessed, PR improved, and morale boosted.

Competition is a given; markets change; economies go up and down and up again.

Modern excuses are just digital versions of old ones. My chariot driver got lost or my GPS was wrong – same excuse, different century, both weak.
Those things can and should be addressed. Otherwise, they’re excuses for failure – unacceptable excuses.


Real Reasons: There are no good excuses for business setbacks, but there are reasons. They don't occur often ire only three:

Priority - Sometimes we have to make choices. You have a shortage of goods and have to choose satisfying one client or another. Do you attend the meeting with the boss or the one with the client? (Meet the client and the boss should understand.) Do you cut profit to win a contract or price realistically and lose the contract? Do you choose a family need or a business need? (You know which ones really matter.)

2. Marketplace realities - There are instances - a few - in which meaningful changes do affect business. Competition opts to lose money on contracts to gain market share. The economy goes into actual recession and everyone suffers. The government alters the business environment - interest rates, tax rulings, or new laws. ACCC and ASIC legislation cost companies millions filling out compliance documents to prevent fraudulent business practices even in squeaky clean companies.

3. Disaster - death and natural catastrophe. These happen, rarely, but they do happen. And they require no explanation.

When things go wrong, address what went wrong. candidly and swiftly. The people who do best don't  use excuses. They overcome problems.

 


Enjoy this issue of The Maverick Spirit...  That's it for today, until next time, continue to enjoy being a free spirit in a complicated world... 

Wayne Mansfield

P.S.  Did you know that there are over 58 million dogs in the U.S alone and that last year, so along with their feline friends, they consume over $11 billion worth of pet food a year! I don't know if that is more shocking than the fact that Americans, on average eat 50 kilos of chocolate EVERY SECOND!

P.P.S.  Talking about diet, as we are, I wanted to tell you that apples are more efficient than caffeine in keeping people awake in the mornings! And it is proven that smelling bananas and green apples (smelling, not eating) can help you lose weight! Of course you could exercise but did you realise that a hard working adult sweats up to 2 litres per day. Most of the sweat evaporates before a person realises it's there, though!

I think I will just think about all of this eating and exercising lark!

And for something really different:

Visit my daily thoughts and views at    Confessions of a Boy from Margaret River   where you can leave comments and ideas
on stuff that doesn't make it to The Maverick Spirit
 
Life's Little Instruction Book

Never remind someone of a kindness or act of generosity you have shown him or her. Bestow a favour and then forget it.

Put on old clothes before you get out the paint brushes.

Visit friends and relatives when they are in the hospital. You only need to stay a few minutes.

Source:          H. Jackson Brown, Jr  Life's Little Instruction Book
MAVERICK QUOTE OF THE DAY


"You never know what
you can do till you try."

English Proverb

Samuel Maverick (1803-70) Texan rancher who, when branding of stock was introduced chose "Not to Brand." Every unbranded horse or cow he then claimed as a Maverick!

Feedback:   I am always pleasantly amazed by the number of people who share their thoughts with me. So, from the last issue about "when we were kids.." I have settled a few of the many emails that came my way. I appreciate that The Maverick Spirit readership enjoy connecting and sharing:

Hey Wayne,

I do a half hour radio show on Friday mornings called Simply Living (a sort of getting back to basics) and last week we did a “Remember When?” We get so many calls and emails when we do these because of the lovely memories of simple childhood pleasures. It was so popular that we’ll be doing it again this Friday. Your Maverick Spirit was very timely, I’ll be using some of these on the show thanks.

Jill Bonanno
Development Manager
98.5 Sonshine FM

LOL onya Wayne.. that was a good one!!

me too I got one of those recently.. bloody thing.. does all these whistle and bell things that no-one ever needs or can ever work out how to use!

Have a good day.

Shazar

Mr Maverick

Ha ha! Yes, modern technology and all the 'learning' that goes with it - just to make you feel especially dumb!

I really don't know exactly who you are, but I have enjoyed reading your spirit mails for some time now.

Thankyou for the reminder of what it was like 'in the olden days' when we were kids and life was oh-so much simpler...

I'm a 32 year old female - and I don't miss being a kid for one minute! I choose my life the way it is today. And the reason I don't miss being a kid, is because I STILL AM ONE! Yesterday afternoon I ran outside in the rain - something we haven't seen here in Brisbane for yonks! Loving the feeling of it on my skin, feeling my work clothes saturate right through, feeling the coolness of the drops and the chill of the breeze, loving the scent of the water and mud and wet grass. What a beautiful day! I stomped in puddles, skipped around the yard, squealed and buckood like an eight year old - just for a few minutes...

I turned my face to sky and said 'Thankyou' for the opportunity to experience such a thing - what an awesome feeling! To giggle and squeal and delight in the simple things... I am continuing to build upon my fondest childhood memories. And I choose it that way.

So Mr Maverick, don't be sad at what you've left behind. It IS still fun to be a kid. You can give yourself the permission!

Thanks again for an awesome write up today. I thoroughly enjoy your ramblings.

BTW - ease up on the tomato sauce! That's gross! Ha ha!

Cheers to you

Judy :)

Hi Wayne

Thank you for that little blast from the past. It is a shame that our children will never appreciate the simpler pleasures in life and the real meaning of family, it got me thinking - what are we doing to our children. They may be better educated but is that ALL life is about..

I wonder

Debbie Bruce

Dir Business Development
Linkcom Group Pty Ltd

Hi Wayne.

I'd like to keep receiving your newsletter if I may, it's always interesting to receive inspirational stuff, and helpful in the day to day routines too.

In closing, may I offer a tiny observation that may help someone in life somewhere.

One of the big secrets of success in life is, "Keep smiling" !!!!

It's so simple many people overlook it. So when things are all uphill and the energy is dropping into the red zone take two forefingers and use them to force a smile on the dial.

It's said to be a physical impossibility to retain glum thoughts while smiling.

The brain cant support two conflicting inputs.

Makes sense to me.

So what if others start to think I'm a moron because I walk round with a silly grin all the time. If they only knew that I'm grinning in part because they don't understand the first bit of it.

Always be willing to offer a cheerful comment such as," Smile, be happy."

And do you know that once in a while someone will actually catch on and it will click in for them. That's the best learning of all, when they work it out for themselves they really have got a handle on it. Works for me too.

My most memorable teachers were the ones who lead me to the very obvious conclusions and let me stumble into enlightenment, bless them. They didn't tell me , they let me discover it for myself.

Much more satisfying.

So to help the smile along folks heres a message to keep in mind.

" Nothing succeeds as well as a budgerigar ".

Now for that overdue ending I promised.

Regards Bob.
 

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Until next time then... enjoy being a free spirit in a complicated world.

Wayne Mansfield Editor

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