There Are No Good Excuses In Business

“There’s no crying in baseball!” This great quote spoken by Tom Hanks in the movie “A League Of Their Own” has a universal application.

I was recently speaking with a fearless business woman. Fearless because she has been exceptionally successful in some very competitive markets. Fearless because she does business unemotionally, purely by logic, all black and white, no grey. We were discussing a recent start-up she was developing and she was expressing great disappointment in one of the partners who could not seem to get things done. She acknowledged that the partner has many personal issues but said very clearly and emphatically, “So what!”

We all have issues in our lives but there is no room in business for these personal matters. Performance is what counts and if you can’t do it, get out. We are all depending upon each other and while the product may be excellent and the market may be demanding it, success is based on the capability and ability to implement by the people involved.

“It’s all about the people,” she said. Everything else is easy. Putting the right team together of people who can work together and implement the strategies, that is what counts. Just as there is most definitely “…no crying in baseball”  there is no whining or excuses in business, at least none that count.

“I will be forced to kill the project rather than work with emotional, ineffective partners who whine rather than do,” she said. “My reputation for success is far too important and valuable to me.”

This woman rocks. She has said it all.