The Difference Between an Excuse and a Reason
Author of this post: Melkorka Kjarval | About Blog Authors »
When something goes wrong there are probably a thousand reasons why it ended up the way it did. However it is important in business that you don’t use excuses to justify a fumble. Using an excuse only makes you seem untrustworthy instead of making your actions seem justifiable.
A simple ‘I am sorry, I will see that the problem is fixed’ is always better than a litany of excuses or multiple apologies. It is a natural impulse to want to be forgiven or pardoned when you make a mistake. Remember that whoever is dealing with the said problem does not have the time to also make you feel better as well.
Sometimes it is hard to realize when an excuse is leaving your lips. How can you tell if a reason is really just an excuse? A good rule is that if you had ample opportunity to change the result and you didn’t then it’s an excuse.
All is not lost however; people are most impressive when they are able to calmly fix a difficult situation. So think of each mistake as a moment to inspire confidence.
