Done is better than perfect
‘Done is better than perfect. I have tried to embrace this motto and let go of unattainable standards. Aiming for perfection causes frustration at best and paralysis at worst.’
- Sheryl Sandberg
The pursuit of perfection is exhausting. And the reason is that perfection does not exist. As Plato pointed out, the real world is a reflection of the ideal world. And for those of us who need a reminder, we live in the real world.
As we get back on track, we need to remind ourselves that done is better than perfect. The endless fiddling to get something absolutely precise and spot on is a waste of time. Newspaper editors routinely tell rookie reporters and contributors that it is better to meet a deadline with less than a final polish, than to get it in late. The publication must go out. So, time to be less precious.
What does this mean for schools? It means an absolute focus on the things that really matter - the planning and thinking about how a lesson is going to go, the kinds of stimulus, the questions, the work we want students to do. And checking that they have done it and letting them know what they need to do to improve. We need to remember that the tail shouldn’t be wagging the dog. We need to ask hard questions such as - ’Is this moving learning on? If it isn't why are we doing it?’
We all need to check how we are spending our time. Not just during lessons but afterwards. We need to find and share the legitimate short cuts for working efficiently and for focusing on the important stuff like planning. We need to be alert to whether we are taking an inordinate amount of time on things which are not improving learning.
We need to have an overall picture of what is going on in classrooms. We shouldn’t need data drops every couple of weeks to tell us what we should already know. We need to continually ask questions about how things can be made to work more simply and more efficiently. We should be mindful of the work life balance and know that the pursuit of perfection gets in the way of healthy, honest work.
In the wider management of school settings, sensible leaders, mindful both of high challenge and low threat and of a clear understanding of done is better than perfect, apply this to the way they run meetings, communicate with parents and analyse the impact of their work. In thinking about this, they recognise that the work never feels as though it is done. They come to terms with this and accept that enough is enough. This not only makes processes more efficient but also frees up space for thinking about the big picture of direction of travel, ethos and new possibilities.
Some leaders, when reporting to the governing body, for example, do not reproduce information that is already available. They summarise the processes and actions and the impact of these through brief headlines. They are disciplined about keeping the main thing the main thing. They are relentless in asking themselves and the governing body whose role is to challenge and support them about the impact of their actions being top of the agenda. Admin is dealt with under any other business, rather than being at the top of the agenda.
Getting things done trumps getting them perfect.