Is good, good enough?

In a recent conversation with colleagues one asked, “The question really is, is good, good enough?”  We were talking about a performance evaluation system with a five point scale that started at Excellent then went to Good, Satisfactory, Fair, and Poor.  It is a scale where few can define the difference between Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, or Fair, or as I like to call them, the Four Shades of Good.  Are you Satisfactory or Good, and how do you know?

I have posed the question in meetings.  If you accomplish your assignment, what rating do you expect?  Unanimous response, “Excellent”.  So, if Excellent is expected, how much less would you have to do, to receive the other ratings? Usually I have to restate the question a few times for my point to be understood.  But even if they get the point, they are not willing to let go of the idea that they were anything short of exceptional.

As I ponder the expectations of those I evaluate, it makes me consider, in what circumstances is good, good enough – and when does it just fall short?

Well, I would hope my doctor is excellent.  I don’t want him to be good, or fair, when a better quality is possible.   What about a haircut?  Does price determine the difference between Excellent or Good or is it the magic of the stylist and her scissors?  And what about a good car?  Does the price for luxury translate to a better product?   What about a good restaurant or good meal?  Is excellent that much better?  Is there a price that we pay for the extra service or quality and if so, what is the trade-off or tipping point?

When I was going through my doctoral program, I had to take a lot of graduate mathematics courses.  Quite a lot!  I also lived an hour from the university and had a family and two small children.  I did not have the time or freedom to huddle in the campus halls, collaborating over solutions to mathematical proofs.  Did I do a good job?  Yes.  But I didn’t do my best possible work given a perfect scenario.  Absolutely not.  I wasn’t willing to give up or set aside my time and responsibilities as mom, for some math problems.  For me, good was good enough.

What about the cases where it isn’t good enough?  I can take you to a really exceptional Mexican restaurant, but if you detest Mexican food, an excellent burrito isn’t going to bring a smile to your face.  How about a beautiful piece of designer clothing at a great price?  Jump on it – or may be not!  It’s a size 2 and I’m a 10.  Good is pretty useless to me in that case.

And then there are the situations we don’t like to think about or talk about. Like – It’s a great house, in a great neighborhood, at a great price…but it happens to be 80 miles from my work and I commute an hour and a half each way and I leave before dawn and get back after sunset.  It’s a great deal but I never get to enjoy it.  So, how good is it?  Or worse, it’s a “great job” with good benefits, everyone thinks I’m SO lucky to have it…but it leaves me dead and lifeless.

What are the things that we trades?  Is good really good enough?