One of my least favorite phrases features the words, “not that bad.” As in, “Bob’s sales presentation wasn’t that bad.”
Perhaps the thing that bothers me is that the real message, “Bob wasn’t good,” is lost in a culture where excellence is often devalued in favor of mediocrity.
A ballerina once told me that in dance, beautiful is hard. It’s takes years of sweat, dedication, and practice to make a performance appear effortless. Someone who walks off the street, into a dance studio, can’t be expected to immediately achieve beauty in a performance. To treat them as if they were a master of the art form would be wrong.
If someone isn’t good at something but they perform better than they ever have, then by all means, tell them that their skill has grown. But when someone performs below their ability, you shouldn’t sugar coat your comments. You’re not trying to be insulting, just honest. This is an important characteristic of leadership.
I’m guilty of telling people that they “weren’t bad,” when they were and it happened because I didn’t want to cause hurt feelings. But ultimately, I did a disservice by not telling the truth. The gift of honesty can lead to positive change. Saluting mediocrity sets someone up for failure.
Still not sure? Then think back in your life about the people who really helped you personally or professionally. I’ll bet that most of them supported you with the truth, rather than a fantasy.
