You’ve got potential

This phrase — “you’ve got potential” is almost universally understood as a compliment. But is it really? Let’s take a minute to think about it.

If you have just joined a company as a junior staff and you hear this phrase in your first week or first month, sure, that usually means that whoever says it may see potential in you, a promise, something that separates you from the rest of the newbies. If your jiu-jitsu coach, your chess trainer, or piano tutor says this to you after only a few lessons, look at their faces. I imagine their faces light up, they look excited, like they have just found a diamond in the rough, a talent that with the right training, effort and support, can be a world-class performer. This is excellent. Maybe you have actually found your calling. You should commit, do your best and discover how far you can go.

But then, sometimes you hear this same phrase differently. When the person saying it does not look straight into your eyes or shakes his head a bit, or sighs. When you have been in the company for a few years and you are still a junior staff when your boss says this, but what he really thinks is what could have been. When the facial expression is almost as if he is saying, ah, well, another wasted talent, then my friend, it is time to wake up. You may hear this phrase when your boss is just not comfortable openly criticizing you. You may hear this when people around you have not completely given up on you, they feel there is still hope, but also don’t really believe you will make it.

If you keep hearing — you’ve got potential — at some point, you need to really start taking it as an insult. That’s right. An insult. Maybe then you will wake up. Maybe this will get you out of it — whatever ‘it’ is.

Sure, maybe you are no longer a junior staff, maybe you are a successful lawyer eyeing that partner position. Maybe you have already won a competition as a white belt, got promoted to a blue belt, but then have hit a plateau. So maybe you have had successes and then you slowed down, you became complacent, you started cruising. Don’t fool yourself. People will notice.

So unless you hear — you’ve got potential — about something that is still an ambitious target, this phrase is likely signaling a problem. If a lawyer hears — you’ve got potential for a partner position, that’s great. But if you are a lawyer who has been expecting that promotion for a few years, and you hear this phrase again, that means something is missing. Those at the top don’t think you’re there yet.

So next time you hear — you’ve got potential — think about it, is it really a compliment or a wake-up call?