Being Average !!

Praful Bhoyar
Sep 1, 2018 · 2 min read

Being average is supposed to be the worst thing that can happen to you , or that is what advertisers, teachers, bosses and spouses would want you to believe.

But then what is so wrong in being average ? About 100 percent of us would eventually die, some would turn into ashes others in soil. Is there any thing above or below average about that?

“It is how you live that counts stupid, that is where your being above or below average counts ! “

The omnipresent critic in you shouts.

This starts early, Priya next door is usually smarter than you , has good manners, scores great marks. Your parents look up to her. You give a damn. The poor kid doesn’t know what is it like swearing choicest of swear words and getting away with it. Has she ever forgotten that there was an exam today? You have done that twice and managed to get through !

In the corporate world, average is avoided like the plague. You must get better appraisal ratings, get promoted,keep running the treadmill.

Then there comes a time,when there is not much you can do to outshine. Everyone around is equally above average. So you try the shortcuts, take credit of work other people have done, Send one on one escalations mails to top boss . The average Joe,meanwhile, still believes in the lofty goals of the boss, keeps slogging, plays the team game, doesn’t bother about the credit. Actually starts believing that the credit must always go to people who anyways get it.

But there is something else about all these average Joes, they genuinely believe in the company strategy, they leave office on time , spend time with family, take up social causes and so on. They are like the marathon runners, who eventually complete, slow and steady!

What if we change our performance systems to benefit the average guys?

Wait a second, this is not a call to go back to socialism. The ranking and bell curve must stay. What if we spend most of our training dollars on the average population? If nothing, it will improve the company’s average competency level, mathematically at least!

This will improve cooperation , it may even bring in some amount of trust. We may end up getting more done.

Praful Bhoyar

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I am a software professional. Love sports!!