Make Their Excuses for Them

Eventually, I not only didn’t blame them, I made their excuses for them. “This happens a lot,” I might say, “The way this works is not very logical so it’s hard to remember, especially if you don’t do it all the time.” “Why don’t you see if you can come to my class. This module is really too complicated to figure out without any training. It does a lot of stuff.” “You really have to have some uninterrupted time away from the front desk so you can concentrate when you’re doing these appointment templates. It’s hard to visualize how the changes you make affect the schedule and the changes carry through in the program till the end of time!”

I made their excuses for them so that they didn’t feel bad (an upset software user can’t concentrate), so that they knew I was on their side (they could tell me everything), and so that they could give an explanation to their boss and coworkers (a grateful software user tries harder!).

Doing the Right Thing
and Achieving All Your Goals at the Same Time
www.mariannepowers.com