Shipulski On Design

We do our best, and it’s either good enough or it isn’t.  But it IS our best.  Some questions: How was the good/not good bar set?  Who set it? Was the bar set unreasonably? Were the measurement criteria clear? Was there agreement on the good/not good delineation? Does there need to be agreement?  If there’s a disagreement, how is it arbitrated? Can there be disagreement?

Truth is, all goals, including the goals used to decide if you did a good job last year, are arbitrary.

20% improvement over last year. Arbitrary.  Why not 21%?

15% faster than last time.  Arbitrary.  Why not 85%?  Or 300%?

80% more “things” than last year.  Arbitrary.  Why not 9%?

If you do a sh*tty job last year, wouldn’t that set next year’s bar arbitrarily low?

Unless, of course, last year’s bar was set arbitrarily high and you actually did a great job.

If your leader likes what you did last year, you’ll get a good rating.  And how do they decide if they like what you did last year?  Kinda arbitrary.

If you made your leader look good last year, you’ll get a good review.  But someone else arbitrarily set your leader’s good/bad threshold.  One step removed from you, but still arbitrary.

If you do what you say you’ll do, that’s not arbitrary.

If you keep your promises, that’s not arbitrary.

If you help people, that’s not arbitrary.  (And they will remember you helped them.)

If you tell the truth, that’s not arbitrary.

If you treat people with respect, that’s not arbitrary.

If you see something then say something, that’s not arbitrary.

If you listen to people, that’s not arbitrary.

If you treat people with kindness, that’s not arbitrary.

If you advocate for people, that’s not arbitrary.

If you say what everyone else is afraid to say, that’s not arbitrary.

When you take responsibility, that’s not arbitrary.

When you maintain someone’s confidence, that’s not arbitrary.

When you take action, that’s not arbitrary.

When you care, that’s not arbitrary.

When you help the team laugh, that’s not arbitrary.

When you give guidance, that’s not arbitrary.

When you tell people they did a good job, that’s not arbitrary.

When you ask people what they’re working on, that’s not arbitrary.

When you demonstrate trust, that’s not arbitrary.

Improvement goals are arbitrary.

Demonstrating that you care is not.

Image credit — Marcin Wichary