I can't stand Excuse Factories. Excuse Factories:

* Make excuses for the reasons for problems.
* Look for fault around them and not themselves.
* Don't accept responsibility for anything they do wrong.
* Don't fess up to not doing things expected of them.
* Waste time on discussing - at length - what went wrong and why and who's to blame.
* Never come up with solutions until they're told to by a manager or person in authority.
* Make others waste time on figuring out where things went awry (when that's not the important issue!).

ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!!!

When cornered, Excuse Factories will:

* Lie about things pertaining to the supposed resolution.
* Point fingers / look for "substantive" emails that point to the problem.
* Pop round for a chit-chat about the problem (so there's no documentation).
* Say they didn't understand something (even though they never asked for explanation or clarification on the issues at the outset - If they don't understand it and something goes wrong, they think they're not at fault - even if it's clearly within their area of expertise and responsibility).

I have striven throughout my career to, if I hear myself becoming an Excuse Factory, go the opposite direction as quickly as possible. I have tried to become a solutions-oriented person who proactively looks to improve himself and his own processes. I wish others on my project teams felt and acted the same way. More projects might be more successful.