If you're going to apologize....

I recently read an article in a local (county) paper written by the publisher of the paper attempting to apologize for the many errors in reporting the paper has had recently.  The apology is 1 paragraph long (about 1 1/2 inches of 1 column).  The whole article is about 2/3rds of  the page and is 4 columns wide.  The rest of the article is a list of various excuses of why there have been so many errors.  Let me paraphrase a few for you:

• Our assumptions were wrong
• I can't possibly know everything my employees are writing
• Sometimes the information changes after we get the story
• Goverment/law officials won't co-operate with us
• People give us wrong information--or refuse to give us any information at all.

 My sympathies to the publisher that she has had so many errors in the paper, but I don't really feel like that article was an apology.  I felt like it was a "blame shifter."  You know one of those "apologies" that basically come out as "yeah, I screwed up, BUT IT WASN'T MY FAULT!" (I've seen lots of cartoons on Facebook recently mocking President Obama for his many similar statements...but I won't get into that)

The article got me thinking how many times I do the very same thing. And about how hollow those apologies feel when you receive them. I realize that some things don't go as planned, but people don't want your excuses. If you can't deliver what you promised, don't blame circumstances or other people.  If you are going to apologize,accept responsibility and realize they will likely be upset. But don't slough it off as if there were nothing you could do about it.  It might also be helpful to suggest ways you can help rectify the situation.

Don't get me wrong, I realize there are things that are beyond an individuals control, but an apology sounds hollow if that is stated in it. Let me give you a "do" and "don't" example.

Do: I'm sorry, we won't be able to deliver the couch you purchased last week on time.  We hope this won't inconvenience you too much. We aren't sure exactly when the couch will be available for delivery, but we will call you as soon as it arrives.
Don't: I'm sorry, we won't be able to deliver the couch you ordered last week on time.  Our supplier didn't ship it until several days after we placed the order and the shipping company re-routed it through California.  Now we are a week behind on our deliveries.  We aren't sure exactly when the couch will be available for delivery, but we will call you as soon as it arrives.

Please notice that the "don't" example includes almost the entire "do" example---but it also gives excuses that aren't included in the first example.  If people ask you why, I suppose it is appropriate to offer some explanation (excuse). But if they don't ask, it is 100% an excuse (not an explanation) when it leaves  your mouth.

So, in the future, I'm going to work on offering apologies, not excuses. Feel free to join me in my efforts.

No Authority

So, if you have stumbled on my blog, you may be wondering at the title I have chosen "A voice of no Authority."  Honestly, I came up with it later in the evening, but I really liked it and decided to keep it.  But it does  have meaning to me.

A VOICE:  I chose to be a voice for what I believe and believe in.  So many times people remain silent while things they believe are disregarded, disrespected, and displaced.  I may not have a lot of ability to change things, but I can let my beliefs be known.

OF NO AUTHORITY: I believe there are people out there who have authority to speak on certain topics.  For example, I believe the LDS Prophet has Authority given to him from God to speak to the world on any topic.   I, however, do not feel I have authority to speak about anything.  The things I post to this blog are my Beliefs and Opinions.

Even though I don't feel I have authority, I do believe I have the right to share what I believe (in the US the right to Freedom of Speech is given to every citizen).  Though not everything on my blog will be factual, I will make every effort to keep my religious postings true to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Errors on those pages are because of my miscommunication or misunderstanding of gospel principles.

Political posts are strictly my opinions---And I believe pretty much anyone's political posts are only opinions regardless of how many statistics they quote or links they have. Errors on political pages are because I choose to share things without checking them out because I like them, facts are in dispute, or pretty much anything. Just so you know what to expect, I consider myself a Republican...but I may not agree with every Republican viewpoint.

Just starting to blog...

So, I know I loose a ton of credibility by not even posting my name on my blog....but I have a lot of opinions that I have decided to share, and I don't really have the guts to share them in any other way.  Guess one fun thing about the internet is that you can be generally Anonymous.--And look on the bright side, I'm not lying to you about who I am....I''m just not telling you who I am ;)

That being said, there are things about me I don't mind sharing.  As you may have guessed from the first part, I am opinionated ;)  Aside from that...I am currently a stay at home mom! Though I have worked in the past and will probably need to work again in the future.  But since I was laid off a few weeks ago, we have decided to try living on just my husband's income. We are just starting our family and have one beautiful little boy who is the joy of our lives. 

I am also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints---which I am happy to say influences my life, my opinions, and my blog!  If you don't like that, feel free to hit any of your bookmarks and move on, because this is my webpage ;)  I fully respect your right to post whatever you want, even if I don't agree with it---on your own space.  And I expect the same courtesy of you should you continue reading.  That being said, this is my space, and I will delete anything I find offensive.

Should you choose to explore: Welcome to my blog!  I hope you enjoy it.