There is a 100% chance I will not hire you if you say this in an interview.

There is a 100% chance I will not hire you if you say this sentence in an interview.

Before I tell you what it is, let me explain why.

Initiative is my love language. (I stole this from someone, and can’t remember who.)

I value action-oriented, critical thinkers.

I try to surround myself with as many of these people as possible.

I love when people say, “I tried _____ because I wanted to make _____ happen. Here’s what worked. Here’s what didn’t. So, I am trying _____ next.”

Here’s the phrase these people don’t say.

“My boss won’t let me.”

I hate this phrase.

You may be a competent, hard-working, lovely person, but if you are a boss-blamer, you are not a fit at my company.

(FULL DISCLOSURE: I used to be a boss blamer. More on that in a bit.)

“My boss won’t let me,” is a lie.

The truth sounds more like this.

“I don’t believe in my ideas.”

“I’m not willing to take a risk.”

“I don’t want to accept consequences.”

“I don’t want to look foolish.”

“I am afraid to fail.”

“It’s easier to blame my boss.”

I get it.

It’s comfortable to play it safe.

But nothing gets better, and I love to make things better.

Here’s the good news.

I used to be someone who used my boss as an excuse.

And, there’s a simple way to stop.

Practice with small, calculated risks.

Here’s a formula. Just fill in the blanks.

“I am doing _____ to achieve _____. I will try it for _____ days/weeks and measure it by _____.”

Keep doing it if it works. Stop doing it if it doesn’t.

I used to manage remodel projects for a retail construction company.

The existing system did not make sense.

It created extra work, and left too much room for a person to forget something.

But my boss made the process, so I begrudgingly used it.

One day I became fed up.

Instead of quitting, I decided to make small improvements.

They added up over time.

Soon, my projects were on schedule and below budget.

Even better, I had extra time on my hands.

My boss called me into his office.

He said others were saying that I spent a lot of time not working.

I showed him my results…and my process.

He gave a promotion and asked to train the rest of the team.

This would not have happened if I kept blaming him for the reason I did not like my job.

This is why I will never hire people who would rather make excuses than make things better.

Do you feel stuck?

Maybe it’s time to take a small, calculated risk.

Once you do, keep going.

It will change your job and change your life.

And, if you don’t want to take small, calculated risks, that’s fine.

Just don’t be a boss-blamer.

It doesn’t look good on you.