When did average become an insult?
We shouldn’t be ashamed of being average but many of us are simply because we’ve been taught to equate average with disappointing.
And that’s daft because the reality is most people are average. It’s statistically impossible for it to be any other way.
On a normal distribution curve 68% of us are average, 16% are below average and 16% are above average. This means that while we may want all our employees to be high performers the majority of them will actually be average.
And there is nothing wrong with that;
- the average employee does a good job; they are competent and achieve the standards/results required
- they may be average but that doesn’t mean they are the same – every individual brings different levels of experience, knowledge and skills, ideas and perspectives.
- being average doesn’t mean being average at everything, chances are people are above average at some things (and below average on others!)
A 1993 study** found 80% of the difference between elite and amateur (average) performance comes down to practice. This suggests we can all be more than average at something as long as we are motivated enough to take the time and effort to practice.
And that’s where you come in.
You can choose to chase down those elite performers and dangle some juicy carrots to entice them to work with you. Or you can create a culture and ways of working that will help you realise the full potential of your average employees – and maybe raise the average altogether!
Provide the average employee with an engaging workplace and they will do good work. Engage people and you’ll help them develop the motivation and commitment to try new things, ‘practice’ and make improvements.
With reports suggesting that just 30% of UK employees are engaged it would seem the average employer isn’t doing a very good job – what about you?
** Ericsson KA, Krampe RT, Tesch-Römer C. The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review. 1993;100: 363–406.