“He always has an excuse,” Rachel continued. “Every time I attempt to hold him accountable, whether it is to meet a deadline or turn in the work complete, he always has an excuse. Sometimes, I think he spends more time creating the excuse than completing the project.”

“Which excuses are the ones that you believe?” I ask.

“What do you mean. Sometimes they are excuses, sometimes they are reasons.”

“So, there is a difference between an excuse and a reason?”

“Well, sometimes there are circumstances beyond his control. Sometimes there are very real reasons for missing a deadline.”

“And those are the one you believe?”

“That’s not the point,” Rachel pushed back. “The question is, how can I hold someone accountable who ALWAYS has a legitimate reason for failure?”

“Rachel, the excuse you accept as a reason, is the one that you believe in the most. The more you, as a manager, believe in the excuse, the more it becomes a legitimate reason. It’s a puddle YOU jumped in off the high diving board. Does it matter whether its an excuse or a legitimate reason? You are still in the same place, with a missed deadline. At that point, what really matters, certainly not the excuse?”

“What matters is getting the project finished,” she flatly stated. “I need to know what the next action is, to get the project finished.”

“Then, if you are listening to excuses, or reasons for failure, you are listening for the wrong thing. You are asking the wrong question. If I tell you a project will be late, do you care why?”

“No, I want to know what it will take to deliver the project on time, in spite of the reason.”

“That’s a much better question. So, get off the high diving board. Don’t ask WHY? Ask, what’s your next action.”