Mediocre has changed

And there’s no going back.

If you asked anyone a few years ago to describe what mediocre work looks like, there is a fair chance they’ll paint a vivid picture for you to taste.

And they’ll do this at one glance. Today? Not sure.

AI has successfully improved the quality of what’s considered mediocre.

For writing and all things text, it’s no longer about typos and bad patterns. That is covered for you. It’s now about the clarity of the writing and quality of the storytelling.

Too many articles, documents and presentations now feel the same. Sadly, a few books too.

For audio, it’s no longer about poor rendition, robotic tones and shallow content. Neither is it about convincing the listener about who made a recording. It’s now about the degree to which an audio is useful in helping us achieve our most important goals.

And video? Just wait for it as it unravels.

This reality, on its own, is neither good nor bad. What we do with it determines where the chips fall.

We can always raise the bar of what is acceptable. Of the quality of work that passes through our ‘mediocre detector’. And the quality of care we believe our work is worth.

Trust goes beyond verifying what’s real or not. It’s now about the quality of execution. The unscripted interactions. And how our spirits feel after all is said, done, and gone.

The bar for mediocre just got higher. So has our need for discernment and wisdom.