When you purchase gas, there are payment options and typically people set an amount for gas or fill the tank. While there may be an option to purchase a car wash, there is nothing that asks, “why do you need gas? – going on a trip, returning a rental or someone borrowed the car and now it’s on empty. ” It’s a service, you need gas and you purchase it. I thought of this scenario this last week when the usual happened. I asked a simple yes or no question and the response started with “let me explain.” Y’all are working my nerves; “let me explain” is the adult version of “the dog ate my homework,” it is an excuse! While tis 3 minute litany of hubris continues in the form of “let me explain,” I want to scream, everyone else with similar circumstances managed to get this done; you did not want to. Voila, Seth’s Godin’s blog this week articulated it.
This week, explore, “let me explain,”and accountability.1 Do you answer questions with let me explain? Do you see others answer or really avoid answering questions with some form of “let me explain?” Do you experience “let me explain” as an excuse?
1This post references instances when asked a yes or no question, before answering yes or no and inserting a sincere apology, the response begins with let me explain. e.g. If you said you’d pick me up form the airport and you don’t show up, in the moment, it doesn’t matter why. When you see me, I would expect an apology and THEN you may offer an explanation so that I may determine should I ever trust you again.
Balancing on Unstable Surfaces 