Mike Holmes is a home improvement contractor, famous, at least in Canada, for the HGTV show Holmes on Homes. He’d go into a home after a contractor or home owner had botched a renovation and make it right. He would often have some rant in the show about this or that part of the building and construction trade. One of my favorites was when he would go off about minimum code requirements.
For too many people, businesses, contractors, etc., when there’s a minimum standard, that becomes the target. Minimum code for building? That’s how we’ll build. Minimum wage law? That’s what we’ll pay employees. Minimum job requirements? That’s how hard I’ll work.
I’ll never understand the mindset that thinks “Great, someone set a minimum bar so now I know just how high I have to jump”. That mindset is not in my DNA at all. I’m baffled when I encounter people who think that the minimum is good enough, so that’s all they’ll do.
I’d much rather be like Mike Holmes. He looks at a minimum code and says “That’s great, but we’ll make it better”. He even gives a good business argument for it. When a business can demonstrate that their product, service, etc. is of far better quality than “minimum code”, the (right) customers will understand the value and pay more, shop more, give whatever it is you’re asking for because they know that it’s being delivered at a higher standard.
I’m in a service profession and have been for most of my various careers. You don’t last when the minimum is your target, nor should you.
PS. I haven’t watched Mike Holmes in a few years. I looked on Youtube for a video of a minimum code rant from one of his episodes. I found this which is even better. It’s short and worth the time.
Cheers!