The mischaracterization of “average”

Average. It’s a word that is representative of the whole. However, its connotation has somehow morphed into meaning that something or someone is sub-par. Nothing could be further from the truth. Average literally means standard, par, or typical. Yet average has become something that should be avoided at all costs. 

If you’re a manager, chances are that your team is average. Your individual performance? Probably also average. To state the obvious, that’s the law of averages. Let’s get real for a second. Average employees drive any business. They are profit makers, the ones who get new products to market, and the people who work with your customers. Speaking of your customers, they’re mostly average, too. 

There is a lot of talk about high-performing teams and top talent. And that’s great. We should all strive for our top performance. As a manager, it’s on you to vet out that performance. Look around at the top performers you know. They probably perform at an optimal level because their skills and interests are aligned with their current job. Put them in a different role that does not jive with either, and their performance will probably be, well, average. 

Rather than lamenting your average employees, you would be better served by getting to know them, where their interests lie, and what motivates them. Your average players are likely to be very talented in areas in which you simply don’t allow or ask them to excel. Take a moment and imagine the results you could get if you aligned people with their skills and what they do best. 

I am good at what I do because my work taps into my talent for using language to articulate, frame, and position concepts and ideas. I thrive in that world. Put me in charge of a data warehouse and, while I won’t fail, I won’t perform as well as when I’m doing what I do best. It is incumbent on both managers and employees to work together to ensure that competencies and areas of interest line up with roles. That way, everyone benefits.

Average is not bad. Average does not mean underperforming. Average doesn’t indicate that there are areas that need improvement. Average employees, average kids, average meals, average miles per gallon, average flights are all perfectly acceptable. I hope you found this helpful, and I wish you an average and uneventful day!