Most of us find coaching employees to be an
effective, even enjoyable, approach to leadership
and management. Coaching provides a way to help
team members grow and develop, while achieving
business objectives. But occasionally, we encounter
a team member who has an excuse for every
situation. How can we help team members like this
accept responsibility and focus on solutions, rather
than dwell on the reasons why things aren’t
accomplished? How can we ensure that we really
gain commitment and consensus on plans,
assignments, and projects?
Coaching Employees and Advice
First, it’s important to remember that excuses come
in two flavors. The first, called Type I excuses,
usually surface when raising performance issues with
a team member.
- “It’s not my fault. It’s those guys in Operations.
They don’t deliver my product on time, and the
customer gets upset with me.”
- “I wasn’t able to get that report in on time
because my computer was down for two days. You
should talk to I.S.—it’s their problem.”
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