Instant Business Speak: 47: Excuses.

Wander around an organisation and listen to the excuses. Arrive at reception and be told 'there's a bit of a board-room crisis so your host may be 15 minutes late'. Be shown to your meeting and find that a key decision maker is not attending as he needs to attend to a client.  Find that the circulating report is not up to date as 'marketing couldn't provide the figures in time'.

Stuff happens, it really does. But the best organisations ensure excuses are very few and far between.

• Dictionary so far.
• Bonus and Help Out of the Mess: Brilliant at the Basics of Business 100