They say that one excuse is as good as another. “I forgot” to: take out the trash, make the bed, return the call or message to a loved one may be an excuse for inattention. In our work, when one remembers to accept the pay check or direct deposit, but forgets or makes excuses for not giving their best effort or reaching a goal begs a deeper question. If one is not getting the results needed or desired and yet they aren’t reaching out for solutions and resources to resolve the challenge, well what excuse works for that scenario?

To the one making the excuse, any will do…ranging from “I forgot (perhaps, to care enough),” to the unspoken “My ego got in the way,” to “I’m stuck in my rut (what Zig Ziglar called an open-ended grave)” and of course “I was just too busy (doing things that weren’t meeting the goal or resolving the real issues, but man-oh-man, I sure am busy)”.

As even this brief – somewhat tongue in cheek – review reminds us is that inaction or the wrong action all have their excuses. One might observe that the excuse is there to protect the ego or projected image of the excuse-maker! But the excuse doesn’t change the need, and before you think – ‘Yeah, this reminds me of so and so!,‘ let’s be candid and admit we’ve all given an excuse to justify ourselves.

Okay, it isn’t even New Year’s, so why am I reading this pep talk on excuses that sounds like a message to make and keep resolutions? Because waiting until New Year’s is just another excuse! “But it’s the holiday season…” will sadly ring out more often this time of year than a Salvation Army bell!

Is your business, your team’s or your personal performance all that it could be? If you try to answer yes, go talk to the people closest to you, and ask them to tell you what they think or whisper to others! If we were doing our best, and working at getting better, shipments of new homes would be climbing!

To reverse declining sales trends, there are two levels of activity needed; one personal, the second our firm and the broader industry.

In a future post, we’ll talk about the incredible impact one more sale per location would have on our industry. I doubt there is a location in the nation that couldn’t close at least one more contract on a home a month. Clearly more than one is that much better! But the point is even a baby step towards growth is better than the excuses that are permitting constant declines!

Take the Baby Steps to Improvement. First, admit you need and WANT to IMPROVE!

Take 10-15 minutes a day for improvement. Look at what’s busy work and use that time more effectively to move you towards improved performance, or start a bit earlier daily. Catch up on industry news here at http://www.mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com/housing-news/44-housing-news. Read a feature article, blog or go into the archives. Ask yourself, “How can this idea or principle be successfully applied by me or our team?”

Next, “pass it on!” emailing, tweeting or Facebooking a joke or some cutsie thing is fine. But if more people in our firm and the industry start buying into the need for positive change, guess what? Positive changes will take place! At first it may be modest, but by losing the excuses, it’s like taking the breaks off enhanced performance!

Winners don’t make excuses.

Winners do what it takes.

So who wants to make excuses?

For those who are squirming a bit, that’s okay. Inside, the signals are coming that admit the need for change. Now, just follow the inner craving to grow! Take those daily baby steps!

Conventions and meetings are valuable. such as the Southeast Symposium II December 15-17, 2009  posted at  http://www.mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com/calendar-of-events. Beyond participating in meetings, just remember, you don’t have to wait for improvement! You can start today, in fact, you already have because you read this far! Combine conventions, meetings or other training with what you can get from resources – including free ones like www.MHMSM.com – by just taking the next step…

…daily. Make a new habit of daily growth, break out of the death trap of the busy work rut!

Looking ahead, we’ll offer features in our Manufactured Home Trade Journal Ezine on managing change, time analysis and effective use and the incredible value of teaming up and strategic alliances. For now, let’s conclude by saying this:

• Learn, apply and share a few minutes daily. Remember, “when you are green, you grow, when you are ripe, you rot.”
• For the many talented and successful pros out there, those who have ideas and solutions to share, jump on board and provide an article or column here with our rapidly growing numbers of industry readers! Email me at latonyk@gmail.com with your concept or article brief bio, you and your firm’s contact information and web address.  Be an every growing part of the Industry’s SOLUTION!
• Don’t let the ego or any other excuse get in your way. Do what it takes, 10-15 minutes a day. Manage towards the enhanced goal you have or will set.

You’ll find free tips and business building resources here, or if you have more money than time, you can hire someone to help you manage towards your goal. People are buying homes, millions of Americans need what we have! So lose the excuses! As Nike says in their slogan;

JUST DO IT!##

==> Why not send this link onto the people who need to lose their excuses or who manage others who need to lose their excuses <=

http://www.mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com/blogs/tonykovach/excuses/

=====> If you haven’t already read, the blog posted below, please do! <=====

 http://www.mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com/blogs/tonykovach/optimist-vs-pessimist/

Industry pros are invited to connect with Tony Kovach on Linkedin at

http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

=====> Thank YOU for posting your feedback below! <=====