There seem to be a lot of right/wrong and black/white in our work. Things are rarely definitive or exact when we talk about performance; context matters and sometimes understanding the way something is done can be as enlightening as the result.

So what tolerances are you willing to accept?

For example, do you have pass marks? If so, what’s the difference between 80% and 79%? Does a pass mark tell us anything about the why, how and what people did to reach that score?

What about mistakes? How many are made before it becomes unacceptable? And are the standards which you hold one person, group, or entity to consistent in ALL your undertakings?

I wrote earlier in the week about how lateness is – to me at least – an intolerable trait. If I judge myself by this standard, how fair is it to judge others the same way?

If you tolerate this, will your learning be next?