On a Scale of 1–10, Never Pick 7
You’re ruining the purpose of the scale, Kelsey
On a scale of 1–10, being a 7 is pretty decent. Not amazing, but definitely above average. It’s a nice, comfortable place to be. You don’t have to worry about the pressure of being an 8 or 9, or the criticism of being a 5 or 6. Whether it’s your job performance or your apple pie recipe, 7 is not too shabby.
That’s sort of the problem. A 7 is, well, not much of anything. It’s the friendly version of average. If you remove the possibility of a 7, then it forces you to choose between 6 or 8. Either of those has serious implications, and you have to choose carefully.
If you’re given a 6, it’s obvious that you need improvement. Where are you falling short? What can you do to improve? A 6 gives you the opportunity to do a thorough evaluation and come up with a game plan on how to strengthen those shortcomings. Or just be lazy and happy you’re not a 4. Whatever. I’m not your dad.
The same applies to receiving an 8. It makes you stop and consider what it is you’ve done to receive it, and, dare I say, if you deserve it. Most of us are already filled with self doubt, and while we need to learn to curb that shit, we also need to recognize when that self criticism is founded.
Think about this when you have to rate somebody’s performance. Most of us want to take the easy way out and cause as little commotion as possible, but fuck that noise. Rock the boat. Stir the pot. Tussle the feathers. Any other number of cliches.
Why would I say that? Because forcing yourself into a more honest position will force others to do the same. When you get people standing up to the challenge and dealing with these possibly uncomfortable situations, you’re fighting complacency and forcing growth.
Accept that challenge. Encourage growth.
Or don’t. I’m not your dad.
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