Give Initiative Not Excuses
“Excuses are the tools with which persons with no purpose in view build for themselves great monuments of nothing.” ~Steven Grayhm
Going through life, you are conditioned not to think. You’re taught through unpleasant experience that it’s safer to conform, to take an easy solution, then prepare with ready excuses if something goes wrong.
Gene worked for a large corporation as it was going through a downturn in a tight economy. There were cut-backs going all through the company, and everyone was worried about losing their jobs. One day Gene was talking with his supervisor.
“Whatever you do,” the supervisor said, “create a paper trail to justify all your actions. If you’ve kept track of your actions and why you did them, it’ll be harder for them to question what you’ve done and get rid of you.”
Gene was frustrated at that point. “Wouldn’t it be better if we took initiative and focused on adding value rather than trying to CYA? If we show our value then it would be in the company’s best interest to keep us around.
“Instead everyone is more worried about possibly doing something wrong than in doing what’s right. It’s like expecting to win by only playing defense. It can’t be done.”
“I know what you’re saying,” the supervisor said, “but that’s just the way it is.”
A short while later the supervisor was laid off. Gene wasn’t.
“We are all manufacturers – some make good, others make trouble, and still others make excuses.” ~Author Unknown
