Two punch, one lunch: Why there’s nothing wrong with being mediocre

Experts argue that mediocrity only requires minimum effort and is predictable and safe. (Illustration by Suneesh Kalarickal)

‘They also serve who only stand and wait.’ 

--- John Milton.

Do you feel you lack expertise in your work domain? Or that your employer doesn't even know you exist? Are you always treated as "just an average" employee?

Experts say these attributes lead people to regard themselves as mediocre. Career experts say mediocre talent sometimes will feel very safe because they believe the employer or the management doesn't even know they exist in the organisation.

“They don't raise questions, they don't challenge or even participate in any organisation initiatives or development,” says career coach Senthil Kumar Venugopal. “They are basically 9 to 5 employees who do work that they are assigned with a ‘you told, I finished attitude’. ‘Two punch and one lunch’ is their motto at work.”

Feeling or being mediocre may cause an employee guilt because the boss or sometimes they themselves feel they do not have the intent to improve and put in half-hearted efforts in everything they do.

“As most organisations, mediocrity and people displaying mediocre results often lead to a negative perception,” says Sandeep Budhiraja, Chief People Officer at HR firm BYLD Group.

Nevertheless, experts say there are benefits in having mediocre talent at the workplace and that they can be the most valued asset of any organisation. Moneycontrol dives deep to find out why.

Doing what they’re supposed to do

Though there are no globally accepted attributes of mediocre talent, they may include: doing just what they are asked to, performing the tasks of the day, saying ‘no’ to a problem they can’t solve, completing tasks, and eventually logging off, says Harsh Suresh Bharwani, CEO and MD of Jetking Infotrain, a computer networking institute.

“I don’t see a pattern here that would cause disruptions to the way an organisation works,” he adds. One might say that saying "no" to a problem could ultimately be troublesome but it is the top performers that step in for such matters, says Bharwani.

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In over a decade of experience as a business coach, Bharwani has come across such cases. Over time, he became aware of the number of responsibilities that so-called mediocre resources were shouldering— looking after a sick family member, trying to make time for a dear social cause and so on.

“It is sometimes not a matter of choice,” he says.

“The whole aspect of them being ‘doers’ supporting the ‘drivers’ plays a key role in the functioning and growth of an organisation,” says Raman SR, Chief People Officer, Log9 Materials.

Always safe, and a ‘jack of all trades '

Hiring managers want a team player and this is the ultimate truth, says Karan Jain, Co-Founder of HR tech firm HROne. “Most managers don’t want to hire somebody who is going to rock the boat.”

Jain argues mediocrity only requires minimum effort and is predictable and safe. “Mediocre employees generally don’t feel like criticising small changes in organisational structure, timings, management, or dedicated work.

In a nutshell, they strive to become part of change swiftly.

However, the mantra should focus on doing better, every day. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with being an average performer, but then you must be realistic with where you will reach in your career and be okay with it,” says Amit Sharma, an HR leader at a multinational conglomerate.

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He feels not every path to happiness and a fulfilling life goes through the corner cabin. For instance, Sharma was the HR Head leading an M&A. A function lead had left and when Sharma offered the job to an employee, he refused. The employee said he was happy where he was and didn’t want to go to the next level.

“I was shocked, but now I understand that it is okay,” Sharma says. However, sometimes, mediocrity in current roles can be due to a lack of support structure and guidance. Sharma has seen people who were laid off from one company turn into top performers in others.

To counter this, he suggests such employees challenge the "why" behind their belief of being average.

Further, he points to the Pygmalion effect, or Rosenthal effect, a psychological phenomenon in which high expectations lead to improved performance. “Managers tend to notice the achievements of high performers a lot more than the rest. Even if it does not come naturally to you please try and be in the limelight,” Sharma suggests.

Become comb-shaped

If an employee wants to be on the side of top performers, Venugopal says the first and foremost thing to do is to engage in a positive conversation with bosses and get additional responsibility. “Take up special projects to prove yourself.”

Further, he suggests employees participate in cross-functional team projects and eventually get involved in leadership discussions. “The process should be: Awareness–Action–Adoption–Achieve.”

Jetking Infotrain’s Bharwani says that the industry has already made a shift from I to T to comb-shaped skills. I being good in one skill, T being good in one primary skill and one secondary skill, and comb resembling a comb shape (I_I_I_I_I_I), which means being good in one primary skill and having more than one secondary skill.