Alex Linley wrote this paragraph a few years ago. It’s well worth reading…
“The curse of mediocrity is all around us. In our education systems we see it in the perennial quest to have every student being good at every subject. They are not.
At work we see it in well meaning competency models, where everyone is expected to be good at everything. They are not, and this being so, we then focus on what is wrong and what isn’t working, trying to fix the weakness.
In the world of psychology we have seen it in the focus on treating disease and overcoming psychological illness; laudable aims in themselves of course, but aims that will never move people beyond the zero point of being ‘not ill’, rather than being ‘really well.’
…when we try to ensure that everyone is good at everything, we are condemned by the ‘Curse of Mediocrity’.”
I see this played out far too often. Many organisations have an exhaustive list of ‘management competencies’ and they expect managers to tick all the boxes. I can’t help thinking they’re condemning their culture to the ‘curse of mediocrity’.
At Art of Brilliance, we specialise in turning the tables. Our strengths-based approach focuses on what’s right, what is working and what is strong.
If you want to provide motivational rocket fuel, you’re better off finding out what makes your staff come alive and getting them to do that more of the time.
This next sentence sounds idealistic, but it really isn’t. If you can create a strengths-based culture, you’ll create an environment where work doesn’t feel like work.
If you would like a leg up to that, drop me an email.