Is this good enough?

Is this good enough?
I recently asked my kids to help in the yard by weeding a small but significant patch. ATL is scorching at the moment. However, in a rare break, the morning temperature was below 80, it had rained the day before and the ground was somewhat soft. Perfect conditions. 20 min job if all of us put our heads down and worked.

15 minutes in, many weeds to go, “Is this good enough?”. As though they were being forced to serve a penitence of some sort.

The comment got me thinking. Why? Why would they ask…sure they’re kids, tired, bored, and a bit entitled. (Our economy in 2035 is at risk.)  But where does this idea of ‘good enough’ come from? The job is not complete. It exists for a reason, and it isn’t for just something to do. But we still ask, is it good enough. What does that even mean?

It’s even baked into our education system. Good enough for an A? A pass?
I heard a story years ago about Microsoft releasing a version of Windows. It was riddled with flaws and clunky code, but it was deemed ‘good enough.’ The market needed it. Years later, Microsoft was spending millions to correct the clunky code but making a mint.

All a leader can ask is that the team do their best…to hold themselves to their highest standard and enable them to perform their best. Give their best effort. Afterall, we cannot do more than you are capable of doing. The most important job of a leader is to develop your team’s talent. How else will we all improve? The leader must answer what is ‘Good Enough’?

Determining that answer is why you get the big bucks.

(Btw, the patch got weeded, there was a bit of grumbling, but in the end, everyone felt the pride of a job well done.)