Just Enough!

Martin and I were about to take an extended vacation, so we were trying to figure out a Sunday Dinner that would not yield leftovers.  I was so used to cooking large portions on a Sunday, it was part of my southern roots. I do not understand the concept of just enough, on any given Sunday we would stop by my Great-Grandparents house on the way home from church, they had a small two-family house over in East New York Brooklyn.   They had 14 children during their union, hundreds of grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  Now, my Great grandmother never knew who was going to drop by but the one thing she ensured was, there was always Sunday dinner and it was more than enough.  Cakes and pies were plentiful so, when I was married and on my own, I picked up the same habit.  I cooked more than enough food just in case someone stopped by after church.  I settled on some steaks, baked potatoes, and a salad, it was going to be just enough.

I was thinking about my journey as a cookie baker and blogger, I never wanted to do just enough to keep my page going.    My intentions have always been to give it my all, I want to inspire and motivate people, the same thing as I aspired to do as I worked for the City of New York Department of Social Services for 29 years, the last 12 years in a supervisor/managerial capacity.

 So, to be clear I worked in a Welfare Center, and each morning as the Director I would walk the floors and would speak to everyone, this was my morning routine.  I had a clerk who was quite comical and, in the morning, when I greeted her, she would say “you already know I am here just enough to keep my City job”.  Now I did not take her very seriously and no matter what I asked of her she complied but, the disturbing part is she retired at the same level she started, no promotions, no aspirations for better, she never aspired for bigger.  In the end she did do just enough to keep her job.  I never understood the mentality of doing just enough to get a paycheck.  My parents taught me to go above and beyond what is expected so you stand out.

It made me think about the first supervisory position I had.  It was a tough assignment; I was given the task of supervising all my friends.  I was so stressed that I reached out to a Pastor friend of mine and he suggested I feed them.  My first reaction was……. not, they were causing my hair to fall out.  No way, I was going to do just enough to meet my requirements as their supervisor.  Since that was not working, I gave it a try because besides losing my hair, there was nothing else I had to lose.  I treated my staff to some cookies, soda ad chips one Friday afternoon and I declare you would have thought I gave them gift cards to Macy’s.  Their attitudes changed for the better.  I felt a little sense of peace and we became a cohesive team.  This led to me being recognized by the Director of the center because we exceeded all expectations, we met our deadlines early and went home on time.

As a result of not doing just enough, I was offered a promotion a few months later, which lead to another promotion a year later.  Then another promotion two years later, then a promotion into a management position a year after that. Before I knew it, I was the Director of the very Welfare Center I started in as an Eligibility Specialist.  I now understand just how important it is to not just do enough to meet the requirements, those who do exceedingly above what they are asked are noticed.  The schoolteacher who stays behind to help the failing student, the Army Sergeant that will not give up on a new private.  Those who do more than enough are eventually rewarded, it may not be in the way we imagine but in due season those that do more than enough are blessed.  I challenge you to not do Just Enough.