Wooden's Wisdom | Leadership Resource Center

Issue 636 - Excuses Keep You Out of the Present (Jia Jiang and John Wooden)


Wooden's Wisdom - Volume 13	Issue 636
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EXCUSES KEEP YOU OUT OF THE PRESENT (JIA JIANG AND JOHN WOODEN) John Wooden Video Clip (74 sec.): Coach Wooden is asked: "How did your family of origin influence your coaching success?" My favorite Coach Wooden video clip John Wooden’s Father, Joshua, gave him a simple instruction: "Don’t make excuses." Coach Wooden gave his players a simple instruction: "Never alibi or make excuses." Coach expanded on this with four great ideas: "Making excuses just keeps you out of the present." "When you make excuses, you can't properly evaluate yourself." "A person can make mistakes, but they are not a failure until they blame others." "Never make excuses. Your friends won't need them, and your foes won't believe them." In his book, "Rejection Proof," ( https://www.rejectiontherapy.com/100-days-of-rejection-therapy ), Jia Jung says we should avoid "excuse making" when delivering bad news by not using phrases like "Yes-but" and "Unfortunately": "Yes-buts" happen when the rejector verbally acknowledges or even validates a request, then uses the word but or unfortunately* to deliver the rejection.* Who hasn’t called a customer support number, only to hear something like: "Yes, I understand that you are frustrated with these extra fees, and you want them to be taken off. And we value your business and try to provide the best service possible. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate your request at this time." "Yes-but" rejectors seem as if they are being polite and acknowledging the other person’s concerns and frustrations. Yet the word but—and especially the word unfortunately—totally undermine the rejector’s good intentions. Apple considers the word unfortunately* so detrimental in customer service that employees at Apple Stores are banned from using it when talking to customers."* Insincere mixed messaging is a poor excuse for effective communication. How can you improve your communication? Click here for personal development exercise: Issue 636. Click here for Printable Poetry: Issue 636. Yours in Coaching, Craig Impelman www.woodenswisdom.com Follow @woodenswisdom	COACH'S FAVORITE POETRY AND PROSE Tinkerin’ At Home Some folks there be who seem to need excitement fast and furious, An' reckon all the joys that have no thrill in 'em are spurious. Some think that pleasure's only found down where the lights are shining, An' where an orchestra's at work the while the folks are dining. Still others seek it at their play, while some there are who roam, But I am happiest when I am tinkerin' 'round the home. I like to wear my oldest clothes, an' fuss around the yard, An' dig a flower bed now an' then, and pensively regard The mornin' glories climbin' all along the wooden fence, An' do the little odds an' ends that aren't of consequence. I like to trim the hedges, an' touch up the paint a bit, An' sort of take a homely pride in keepin' all things fit. An' I don't envy rich folks who are sailin' o'er the foam When I can spend a day or two in tinkerin' 'round the home. If I were fixed with money, as some other people are, I'd take things mighty easy; I'd not travel very far. I'd jes' wear my oldest trousers an' my flannel shirt, an' stay An' guard my vine an' fig tree in an old man's tender way. I'd bathe my soul in sunshine every mornin', and I'd bend My back to pick the roses; Oh, I'd be a watchful friend To everything around the place, an' in the twilight gloam I'd thank the Lord for lettin' me jes' tinker 'round the home. But since I've got to hustle in the turmoil of the town, An' don't expect I'll ever be allowed to settle down An' live among the roses an' the tulips an' the phlox, Or spend my time in carin' for the noddin' hollyhocks, I've come to the conclusion that perhaps in Heaven I may Get a chance to know the pleasures that I'm yearnin' for to-day; An' I'm goin' to ask the good Lord, when I've climbed the golden stair, If he'll kindly let me tinker 'round the home we've got up there. Edgar Albert Guest (1881-1959)
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