We have become an excuse-making culture.
I have been a bit frustrated lately with the quality of service provided by various contractors and service providers. It seems as if there is a minimal connection between what people promise and what they do. Excuses abound as work doesn’t get done and/or quality issues emerge. There is a sloppiness entering our work dynamic which doesn’t bode well for anyone. When did individuals stop taking pride in their work? We are not that far removed from a difficult recession, and it is as if people could care less that it wasn’t that long ago that their job security was in jeopardy. There is a pervasive negative attitude about work which is troubling on many different levels. If employees don’t care about their performance, then why not replace them with technology or other methods? And, if everyone is mediocre, then why not as a consumer always opt for the low-priced solution?
The basic formula for success in life and work is simple. When you say you are going to do something, do it when you say you are going to do it and do it well. Commit to your commitments. It really isn’t that hard or at least it shouldn’t be. However, it feels as if our societal priorities have shifted to value the concerns of the individual much more than what he/she contributes to others. We accept excuses and rationalizations as commonplace behavior with minimal or no consequences. It doesn’t surprise me that the more individuals focus on their own lot in life rather than what they do for others, the less happy they become in their work (and other things). Results do matter and the greatest way to improve your own sense of self-worth is by benefiting others in a constructive fashion. All work has value, and anyone can take pride in what they do.
The goal of any business leader should be to achieve high performance. It’s far too easy to be average or mediocre. Most businesses simply ride the boom and get swallowed up by the bust because there is nothing discernibly different about what they do. Sadly, these days just doing the work you were hired to do in a professional manner will suffice for being different. The good news is that market share is there for the taking as unhappy customers look to find more reliable means of getting their needs met. Leave excuses for non-performance to others and take their business from them!