The Doctor is In: A Second Opinion on Mediocrity

The other day I posted about the how mediocrity loves company and gave the example of how Houlihan's is stretching the envelope with their Web site coaster promotion. Today, Seth Godin weighed in with his perspective on mediocrity.

His view is that unless you're getting push back from people who are against change, then you're likely not pushing in the right area. He says it's a myth that just because you have a good idea that people will line up and support you. Quite the contrary, in fact. When people are battling you, you're likely truly fighting for change. And they're likely battling for status quo, which typically equals mediocrity.

Jim Collins wrote a brief (about 30 pages) booklet for the social marketplace in response to his huge business book success, Good to Great. The monograph was titled, "Good to Great and the Social Sectors." In it, he describes a common comment that comes from professional business people who find themselves on not-for-profit boards of directors. The comment typically goes, "What this organization needs is to be run more like a business."

Collins response to that? "No. The last thing a not-for-profit needs (or any other organization, for that matter) is to be run more like a business."

Most businesses are mediocre. They deliver average results, at best. Why would you want to deliver those kind of results to a not-for-profit? They have a big enough challenge as it is. The difference between successful organizations is not between the business and the social sector, the difference is between good organizations and great ones.

People don't know they're working to settle for mediocrity. It's just that most have never been exposed to a company or a brand that could demonstrate outstanding results. And without this perspective, it is challenging to rally around an idea that is different. Unfortunately, failing to do so often leaves them squarely in the camp of mediocrity.

Good is the enemy of great.