Now I am sure you will not understand what I mean, so I will elaborate. Yesterday I was walking in my office into the back door, and it happened. I just fell over and started screaming and crying. No, I didn’t hurt myself, but I was injured. Badly. It still hurts, and I am reminded of it all too often throughout my day. I was admiring the power washed clean sidewalk as I followed it around the building. As I turned the corner and got to the back door where the walk ended, I stopped in horror. The last two feet of the sidewalk were not washed. The swirl of the power washer was literally stopped in the middle of the last square. Immediately I thought, they must have run out of…. what water? I decided to look around the office park and sure enough, every sidewalk was the same way.
Oh, I uttered, this must be on purpose. Surely they are coming back to finish the job.
Uh no, they are done. I checked. I tried explaining to the landlord what DONE, COMPLETE or FINISHED means exactly. He seemed surprised by the definition. In fact, he thought complete meant, “nobody sees the back door.” News flash, I do.
I can’t unsee this complete lack of pride and workmanship. It’s horrifying. It is rampant, and you are to blame.
DONE. COMPLETE. FINISHED.
All of these words, done, complete and finished are synonymous, yet each has a different meaning to people. More importantly, the definition of these words is changing right in front of our eyes every day. It’s like 50 is the new 40. Halfway is the new complete.I wonder how 85 % functionality would go over on your iPhone? Actually, I believe that would be an improvement, so let’s use Android as the example. I doubt if your Android was only functional 85% of the time that you would not tolerate that for very long.
What do you do when you don’t get what you paid for?
Your burger was not supposed to have ketchup on it. Do you eat it anyway? Most people do! Oh heck no. I am marching right on back up there and telling them. Then I go to my table triumphant and throw away my food for fear of retaliation.Let me start by saying that the sidewalk at my office was not complete, done or finished. The definition of these words today includes close enough, nobody is watching, I am too tired and does it really matter? Of course my new favorite, “nobody sees the back door anyway.”My head just popped off. Really? Somebody, somewhere taught you better. I don’t think this is generational even though that’s the story I hear.
This is called tolerance. You are what you tolerate.
Let me say that again, you are what you tolerate.
Did you know that if you go to get divorced and even if you hate each other and both parties agree, the law will not officially grant a divorce until the couple has not been intimate for 12 months. Why? Because you are what you tolerate. Yes, that means it is all your fault. That’s another blog, but yes you need to fix this.
How can you fix it?
Demand better. Lead by example, and show the way. Don’t accept half ass excuses from yourself or anyone else.It has to start with you. If you do more, they do more. Set high expectations for yourself, and hold yourself accountable. Notice I said “self.” YOU have to be the candle in the darkness.Do it right the first time. If you don’t believe me Google ‘the sand palace of Mexico Beach,’ and you will. The story of how the sand palace made it through Hurricane Michael while most of its neighbors collapsed is one about doing it right the first time. Florida is hurricane prone, and the government regulations failed to account for the Category 4 monster’s catastrophic destruction. Yet, the sand palace remained.I live in Savannah Georgia, on an island, and we get hurricanes too. The government does not require me to have flood insurance. The last two hurricanes that hit us caused wind and flooding damage to our island. Many people paid out of pocket because they didn’t have flood insurance. When they explained their plight to me, I would always say how sorry I was and ask if I could help. They would always reply with, “how much did it cost you?”It didn’t cost me anything, because I have flood insurance. I know, I don’t have to have it according to the government. Why would I bother? None of us should rely solely on a government to make sound decisions for us and our families. The government is obviously confused. I live on an island surrounded by water in the known path of hurricanes. How could you not have a need for flood insurance?
You are what you tolerate or accept.
The next time you don’t get what you thought you were getting, ask why. Stop it and fix it, we will all be better for it. And, thank you for your contribution!
– Wes Stone
