Being a 3 out of 5 is okay

I was listening to a webinar on happiness the other day. The speaker was discussing an annual review where she was rated as "meets expectations".  She was told 'being a 3 out of 5 is honestly okay'.  I was dumbfounded and confused by this concept.

As you might have read in my blog on my not being perfect, I strive for perfection a lot of the time.  The thought of not receiving an "exceeds expectations" on a performance review just made my stomach hurt.

She went on to explain that the year before she had done a special project and went above and beyond her normal job. She worked a lot of extra hours, nights and weekends. She received a fantastic review that year.  Then, the next year, she did her job well and received the 3 out of 5.

She was disappointed and shared with us that she questioned her supervisor regarding the lower rating. The supervisor told her that the year before, she went way above and beyond her role and received the high rating. This year, she did her job well and therefore received the normal rating. She asked what would have gotten her a amazing review. Her supervisor told her that she would have had to take on another special project, work nights and weekends and go above and beyond. Her supervisor asked her if she liked the idea of another year of working nights and weekends. She stated she did not. She was asked if she liked giving up time with her family and friends to take on another special project.  She did not. The supervisor explained to her that then meeting her job requirements was the perfect score on her review and she should be happy with the rating.

I could tell from watching her, that this really bugged her at the time.  And... it would really bug me. She admitted it troubled her. She said she felt disappointed in herself and with her supervisor, until she really started thinking about what the supervisor had asked her.  She had enjoyed the special project and was proud of the work, but she needed a break the following year.  She enjoyed the time with her family and friends, and the time away from work.   

She began to understand that a rating of 3 meant she was good at her job.  It meant that she did not need to improve her work. It meant she had improved her work-life balance. This was not wrong and did not make her a bad employee.  I could tell as she talked about it, that she did truly realize that this rating was not in insult. 

Trust me... it took awhile to fully come to an understanding of her story.  I replayed the concept in my mind. I started writing this blog about it. As I progressed, I realize it really would be okay to be good at your job and good at your life.  I understood that exceeding at your job came at a price.  Sometimes it is great and necessary to exceed at your job and pay the price, but sometimes it is great to meet the expectations of your job - and live your life equally.