Mea Culpa

EXCUSES, EXCUSES. FROM "THE DOG ATE MY homework" to "My alarm clock died," everyone makes them occasionally. But excuses may have real personal and social implications, says Barry R. Schlenker, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Florida.

"We make excuses when confronting or anticipating failure to live up to certain conditions," he says. They are an attempt to reduce our personal responsibility and protect ourselves from the implications of our actions.

Schlenker's analysis of studies on excuse-makers, published recently in the Personality and Social Psychology Review, reveals that there are short- and long-term effects of making excuses at work. Poorly offered excuses, such as blaming others or telling half-truths, are not believable and cast doubt on a person's character. Giving excuses too often undermines a person's reputation by making him seem self-absorbed, unreliable or unknowledgeable.

However, sometimes an excuse is useful for diffusing a situation. Schlenker offers three criteria for a good excuse: It must be credible, show that you still are engaged in the situation--perhaps trying to fix the problem--and maintain good will with those around you. By saying, "I'm sorry I don't have the report. My computer crashed. It's being fixed now and I'll be sure it doesn't happen again," you have a short-term solution and avoid damaging your credibility in the long run. And you can get on with your job--no excuses necessary.