The 85% Solution

EXCUSES, EXCUSES—THE MOST COMMON EXCUSES FOR EVADING ACCOUNTABILITY

By Linda Galindo

Accountability and excuses are like oil and water—they don't mix, proclaims Linda Galindo, an accountability expert and author of The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success—No Nonsense, No Excuses (Jossey—Bass, 2009, $22.95).

Yet, says Galindo, excuses for shirking accountability—for not owning up to the consequences of personal choices, actions, and behaviors—can be heard in workplaces and homes everywhere. The most common excuses—and how to avoid them:

1. "I forgot"
   Keep your agreements with others on your calendar—not in your head or on a cryptic to-do list. Every night, check your calendar and see what you're accountable for the next day.
   
   
2. "You never told me."
   If you're hearing a request for the first time, figure out how to be accountable for it. Say to the other person, "I am hearing this for the first time, and will let you know within the hour when I can deliver my draft."
   
   
3. "I didn't have time."
   Talk about a built-in excuse—no one has enough time. The answer: Get clear on your priorities. Press for particulars upfront, insist on clarity on prioritizing competing to-do's, and say "no" when possible. Also, make your calendar transparent; that way, when you do say no, it's data-based—not a meaningless diatribe on how busy you are.
   
   
4. "That wasn't our agreement."
   Put your agreements in writing. You may think it takes up valuable time or makes you look controlling, needy, or incompetent. The good news? You'd be wrong!
   
   
5. "It wasn't a priority."
   Avoid assuming that a casual request from the boss or a coworker is "just one more thing to add to the list." Be clear and accountable—and ask. Remember, too, that the pen is your friend. Jot the details down and then transfer them to your calendar.
   
   
6. "I was out—and didn't know."
   The mind-set "I am not accountable for what I missed" can be dangerous, even deadly, to your reputation and career. Fact is, not knowing is never an excuse for not being accountable. Your work culture may tolerate it, but you don't have to.
   
   
7. "It was a stupid assignment anyway."
   Who cares? Pure and simple, if you're personally accountable for something, you're accountable. Even if it is a stupid assignment, just do it—no excuses.
   
   

Linda Galindo is a consultant specializing in individual and leadership accountability and the author of The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success—No Nonsense, No Excuses (Jossey-Bass, $22.95). An adviser to CEOs, executive teams, and boards of directors, she helps organizations make personal accountability their central organizing principle. Contact her on the Web at lindagalindo.com.