You Can Do Better

How would you feel if your boss told you that?

"You can do better!"

It probably depends a lot on his or her personality. Your feelings would also depend on how hard you had been worked at the task being evaluated.

But think about those four words:

"You can do better."

Taken at face value, it means there's something more in you that didn't quite show up...yet.

People often say the phrase as a softer way of saying, "These results aren't good enough."

But with the right mindset, couldn't it be a hopeful statement, filled with promise?

You could do better!

The simple fact is we can do better, and that's an exciting thought.

We probably can't do better on whatever we just finished. It's done. Maybe we can't immediately do better on the job at hand, since there are deadlines and limited dollars and other priorities.

But overall, in time, we can do better.

That's an inspiring thought for a team focused intently on an important, common goal. On the other hand, it will probably illicit groans from a group that is mostly content with the current state of things.

Does the idea bring up feelings of hope or resentment? Is it a sunset or a sunrise?

What factors from leadership, the culture and environment contribute to how it is perceived? What attitudes make the difference?