by Lema Nsah

I am sure at some point in our adult lives we have encountered situations where we were unable to deliver or come through – at work, in business, with friends and family members. To justify that, we tend to make excuses … which sometimes are legit. But the truth is, no matter how true or relevant these reasons are, there are some excuses we really should avoid – either to save face and appear reasonable or out of respect for others.

Here are a few:

1. I overslept.

Have you ever gotten to work late and missed an important meeting; or arrived late for an appointment that was set up way in advance because your alarm clock didn’t ring? True it happened, but I can only imagine that most adults would find this excuse particularly difficult to make … with a straight face.

2. My babysitter was late.

Hmmm, who cares? That’s really between you and her. Most bosses get very offended by this excuse, you might as well hire a reliable babysitter. This excuse somewhat reflects back on you – do you have the tendency to make poor choices? The truth is that when it comes to work, bosses and business associates do not care about personal issues. They would like to be left out of affairs that have nothing to do with the office; your performance and the results they are looking for are what matter most.

3. It will be difficult.

More than anything, this gives the impression that you are not the person for the job. Everything is difficult – think about it, you wake up everyday and make yourself go through a work or business routine that often requires sacrifices of sleep, time with family, recreation time and in most cases, time doing the things you really like to do.  So why is this that ‘difficult’? Challenging? Yes. The truth is that everything we set out to do has been done before. New ventures require faith, diligence and research. The important thing is: if it has to be done, it has to be done.

4. I had a headache.

“Are you kidding me,” murmurs the boss or business associate under his breathe. Short of being rushed to the emergency room, feeling ‘unwell’ is not always enough to get you a pass, especially if you didn’t call in well in advance.

5. I had to take my kids to the game.

Everyone has kids, everyone’s kids have activities they engage in, raising a family is challenging for everyone at different levels. This excuse is somewhat disrespectful to your colleagues or counterparts who have to make family sacrifices as well.

At the end of the day, it is all about having a good work ethic and integrity … and most importantly giving your best always. Things do happen but those with good track records are often perceived as giving legitimate reasons why they couldn’t perform (which rarely happens), instead of making excuses.

Did I leave any common excuses you think we should avoid? Please leave a comment.

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