I have long held the belief that there are only two really important things in our work life.
They are Reasons or Results.
My observation over many years now is there are a large number of people who have been Masters of Excuses (or reasons). The human mind has cleverly wired our brains to develop a series of excuses, that we call "Mind Traps", and we have become skillful in delivering them too, so that we believe them. For a list of Mind Traps, see the book ‘Who’s in Charge of Your Life’, by Brian Martin and Peter Loeffen.
Unfortunately, at the end of the day they do not work. The only thing that counts is the results we create for the job we are assigned.
I was quite horrified when I was bluntly told by my boss, "Corporations do not have a heart." This really shocked me. I loved my job, I was proud of my company, I loved my company. However, as time went by, I went up the corporate ladder and eventually got my boss’s job, and saw how the organization treated the people who did not create results.
Reasons do not make a profit. Good results do, it ensures employment - yours and others!
Reasons create job losses, cost cutting and quite often a tough and unpleasant work life and possibly home life, as the two are intertwined.
When I was promoted and put in charge of Asia, the President of the International Group told me, "when you send in your weekly results and forecast, I am not interested in hearing about riots in Indonesia, volcanoes in the Philippines, worker strikes in Korea, or floods in China. I am only interested in your countries delivering the budget you are committed to."
So remember, if your boss is giving you a tough time, we are all in this together and that everyone has a boss. We all have to deliver results. Reasons are not acceptable.
I wish you great success and remember: actions speak louder than words.