Good Enough

I read a review by Cecil Johnson (McClatchy Newspapers), of a new book, “Good Is Not Enough,” by Keith R. Wyche, a Pitney Bowes executive. I haven’t read the book. However, based upon the review, I don’t think I’ll be beating a path to my offline or online bookstore soon. It may contain some good advice to minority professionals, which he includes as African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans and Women, that to make it in the work world (and rise to the executive suite), you better be performing more than twice as good as your white male counterparts, because “twice as good isn’t good enough.” Mr. Johnson proposed that the title , “Better Is Not Enough” would be more appropriate.

I’ve got news for Mr. Wyche; we women have known this all of our careers and most of our lives. We have long been outperforming our male counterparts in school and jobs, but fail to believe in our own competency or if we do believe in it, fail to project that confidence to upper management to get the coveted promotions. The problem isn’t in the performing it’s in the believing. Many women are all too willing to keep working excessively hard, yet fail to see their true value. However, with a lack of self-promotion, I agree good is never enough; especially for women who work harder, digging deeper into their current level and do not hold higher visions of themselves in less task oriented opportunities in the executive suite of strategizing, planning and implementing.

I recently posted a reply to Outside the Box's Women for Hire blog, “My Own Worst Enemy” where she wrote, “I could say that I don’t worry and I am always on top of my game but that would be my ego speaking and not the true feelings inside of my heart. Honestly, I have wondered if I am a good enough just as much as if I have thought I am the right person for a job, relationship or particular opportunity.” What amazes me is she is an accomplished woman, intelligent and passionate about what interests her. She has much to be proud. For her and many of us, it is our own internal voice that tells us (at times) other wise. Men do suffer from this, but I believe not as much or often as women. Where and when were women conditioned to believe IT, what ever we are, have, do or can be, is never enough? There comes the vicious circle and why I am not supporting this book.

In my past, I worked for an organization that handed out mugs to the employees that said, I'm paraphrasing here, "Good Enough, the Enemy of Excellence." I said it took me 40 years to say, this is good enough. That mug wasn’t a motivator; to women it is what ties us to task oriented levels at work. We all have to learn to say, Good Enough. Especially when as women we tend to be perfectionists wanting to prove to others that we are indeed, Good Enough. I say, we should be proud of our accomplishments, no matter how large or small. They are ours and no one can repeat what we have achieved in exactly the same way. Yes, we do work harder, not producing as Mr. Wyche describes as C players, but A all the way.

Honestly, this came home for me one day when my daughter, (then aged 7), came home to tell me of something great she had accomplished. She did a little, Go Girl, Go Girl dance, while telling me. I think I was proudest of her self awareness of accomplishment more than the actual accomplishment. Here's to doing our own "Go Girl" dance to celebrate as Alicia said, our phenomenal selves, imperfect and unique! Now, go out and convince your Senior Management of the same and reap the benefits of years of very hard excellent work - Good Enough for that promotion.