I've noticed something lately, and it's driving me up the wall. People have gotten soft. You name any industry, there is this growing attitude that it's okay to fail and not own up to it. Since when?
Failure happens; that's life. We should encourage failure that creates learning lessons that lead to better outcomes in the future. That’s what startups are all about. But shrugging it off and pointing fingers? That's where I draw the line.
Take my recent online purchasing experience. I ordered something weeks ago. Delayed once, delayed again, never arrived. Customer service's response? It's coming from China, not our fault. Really? Or when I needed my car shipped across states, everything was set-until the driver didn’t show up on the day of pickup. The company's response? Not our fault, we'll pick it up later. Never mind that I wasn't available later.
I paid for a service; it didn't happen. That's your fault. Fix it. I don't care about *your* logistics or who screwed up on the backend-I'm the customer, and you promised delivery. This isn't just about one-off incidents. It's a mindset. When I was growing up, taking responsibility was the norm, at least it was for the people that I was around. You tried, you failed, you owned it, you moved on.
Now? People dodge blame like it's a sport.
I read Atlas Shrugged last summer, and Ayn Rand nailed it — when nobody takes responsibility, everything falls apart. It's not just business, it's life, and it worries me.
Here's my call. I want to surround myself with people who own their lives. I don't care if you went to a fancy school or have a corner office. I'm drawn to folks who work hard, stay focused, and take responsibility for every minute of their day. They're the ones who get it.
On the flip side, I've started distancing myself from people who blame others.
If you think that honoring your commitments and owning up to your mistakes is important, send me an email, say hello. Let’s keep in touch and build the world that we want to live in.