Lately I’ve been engaging a lot with a 5-point scale, commonly used in personal inventories like emotional intelligence or strength assessments.. Sometimes a question prompts a (5) Strongly Agree answer while the next may lean toward a (1) Strongly Disagree.
It’s also performance evaluation season, so I’ve been re-educated on that 5-point scale. To my surprise and dismay, I’ve learned that a 3 is considered a successful performance. On this scale, the Exceptional rating of a 5 is given sparingly, and the Unacceptable rating is cause for further action.
As a former teacher I used the educational 5-point scale: A, B, C, D, F. Most of us associate an A with excellence and an F with failure. In school, I was a mostly A-student who would have been mortified to receive a failing F or an average C.
These labels, ratings, and scores have me reeling a bit. I’ve had to shift my perspectives and adjust my expectations. It is a challenge to accept a 3 as successful rather than average or neutral. I also struggle with a fear of failure or an unacceptable rating.
I recently heard an Olympic gold medalist share her story. Despite her relentless pursuit of gold, she fell short several times. After her last attempt, she chose to redefine success. Her three “gold medals” in life are her children. She said, “It’s so easy to feel like a failure, but you get to write your success story. It may not look like what you expected, but take a moment to rewrite your successes.” She was later awarded the gold medal after discovering the three competitors ahead of her had cheated.
Whether you’re a professional receiving a 3 for performance or a working mother feeling like a failure at daycare drop-off, success can be redefined. For the college athlete getting moved to a different position or the manager struggling with employee retention, failure can be redefined and repurposed as opportunity. Success and failure is what we make of it.
As for me, I choose to always strive to do my best, regardless of the scale or rating being used. While looking for opportunities to improve, I will also look for the successes I’ve had. And, no matter the label or rating, I will remember to not give others a vote on my worth.