#WFH: “Excuses, Excuses, Excuses?”
Let’s take a look at excuses and see how they fit in your box. Excuses in the digital world come in all shapes and sizes. Some are so common that they are worth listing here for you. Do any of these sound familiar?
“There is something wrong with the technology. It doesn’t work, it is down, it doesn’t function the way it should, the power is out, the time is different, the sound doesn’t work, the reception is
bad…whatever…the technology has let me down. I cannot accomplish what I am supposed to accomplish and it is not my fault. It is the fault of the technology. I blame the technology for my failure or my inability to do what I said I was going to do; therefore, I am off the hook.”
“I am having personal life difficulties. My child, parents, spouse, neighbor, contractor or friend is making my life uncontrollable. I cannot do or accomplish or live up to what I said I would accomplish because these people are infringing on my time. I have to do something else because of them and that is forcing me to be unable to live up to the commitment I made. They are the problem, not me, because they distract me.”
“I cannot complete what I said I would do, or attend the meeting or class I said I would attend. I cannot get the report to you or complete the agreed-upon task on time because some other aspect of my work has taken over my time, life or ability to get this done. I just took on a new client and I am swamped, I got a new assignment and that takes up all my time, I am traveling more now, you know…I am in a new position and I have more responsibility that I did so I cannot get it done, my plate is too full. It is not my fault; my other work is to blame for my inability to deliver this project on time.”
“I am in some way hindered by an illness, accident, ache, pain or incapacity that has to do with my physical health. I have migraines, stomach trouble, back problems, a cold, the flu, insomnia or a sprained ankle. I am physically incapable of doing what I said I would do; therefore, I am off the hook. I can’t help it if I am sick, injured or out of commission. Not my fault.”
“I just don’t have time. I am so busy; it is overwhelming. I underestimated the amount of time it takes to study, read, prepare, meet online and participate. I didn’t take into consideration that I have three children, ages four, six and eight at home and that working from home would require time. I am not sure where the time goes. I get up early and I put a lot of time into this and I just never seem to get it done. It just takes up so much time. It’s not my fault there are only 24 hours in a day.”
“This is not what I thought it would be. My perception of working remotely was very different than what it actually is. I miss the office talks, the people and the conversations. I thought this was going to be something and it turned out to be something different. I don’t like it, I feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault that I am not successful at it. It isn’t what I expected and, therefore, I am not responsible for not being successful.”
Procrastination can be so strong that even if you know you are going to miss the deadline, not hand in the assignment or blow the deal, you will still procrastinate. There is a great deal written about procrastination and resistance. Most of the time, procrastination results from low self-efficacy and it impedes your productivity. There’s usually some emotional baggage incorporated in our self talk. Self-criticism is another emotional and psychological state brought on by negative thoughts. The source of this can go back to childhood and haunt people into adulthood. If you don’t get a handle on what you say to yourself and how you say it, a lot of emotional damage can be done and inspiration lost. It’s way to easy to make excuses in the remote workplace. Remember, making responsible choices is about being responsible to you. #WFH, #RemoteWorkplace, #RemoteWorker, #WorkFromHome, #BobbeGB, #BobbeBaggio, #ThePajamaEffect, #Touchpoints, #Virtual Workplace, #Virtual Worker #PJEffect
