Why “Your Best” Isn’t Enough—And What to Do Instead
Jeff Gothelf
Teaching executives to simplify prioritization and decision-making by putting the customer first.
A friend recently told me that his mentor advised him to do his “best” and then sit back and wait for success to follow. This felt like the modern (or perhaps ancient) version of “If you build it, they will come.” But that advice didn’t sit well with me for two reasons.??
First, in today’s fast-moving, noisy world, simply putting good work out there isn’t enough. Success doesn’t just arrive at your doorstep—you have to promote, iterate, and actively drive impact. Second, and more fundamentally, best assumes done. But in business, we’re never done.??
The Problem with “Best”??
“Best” is a qualitative term. It’s subjective. Who decides if something is the best it can be? Your boss? Your customers? The market? Even in business, where we have clear metrics like revenue or profitability, there’s always room for improvement.??
And that’s the problem—best assumes done. It suggests there’s nothing left to improve, no better version to strive for. But the best teams don’t operate that way.??
Consider different types of work:??
In each case, the work could always be better. There’s always a way to improve clarity, effectiveness, or impact. The only person who truly knows whether something can be improved is the one doing the work. And the answer is almost always yes.??
The Business of Continuous Improvement
Successful businesses don’t settle for “best.” They continuously iterate. Take product development: if a team believes they’ve built the “best” version of a product, they might stop gathering feedback and refining it. But in reality, the most successful companies don’t chase best—they chase better.??
There is no perfect spreadsheet, marketing campaign, or product. There is only the next version—one that’s sharper, clearer, and more impactful than the last.??
The Takeaway: Stop Asking “Is This My Best?”??
Instead of aiming for an arbitrary “best,” ask:??
Because best assumes done. And in business, we’re never done.?
Billion-Dollar Innovation | Build a system that delivers breakthrough results | 23+ years of record-breaking success for top tech companies
54 分钟前Interesting take. I would combine the two. There is a difference between "the best I can do right now" and "the best things can possibly be". For every initiative or challenge, it's key to bring your best effort and thinking to the table. At the same time, it's not a one-and-done thing. Do your best. Learn and grow, Do your best again. Keep at it until you've achieved your visionary goal and impact.
Business Analysis | Digital Transformation | Integration | Data migration
2 小时前Insightful??????
Digital & Cyber Strategy | Business Transformation | IT-OT Optimization | CxO Advisor | Technology Leadership | Shreyas's Product Sense Alumni
2 小时前Success isn’t just about doing our ‘best’ but continuously improving. Asking ‘How can I make this better?’ and embracing feedback drives real growth. Truly appreciate this insight Jeff Gothelf
I completely agree with Jeff Gothelf’s point that in business there's no such thing as "best" —o nly continuous improvement. From my perspective, collective intelligence is the most effective method to enable this perpetual iteration. Why? No other approach can integrate diverse insights and perspectives so objectively, rapidly, and inclusively, eliminating subjective biases and stagnation. Collective intelligence constantly pushes us to ask: "How can we make this even better?"
Building @ Vyvra ?? Startup Growth Architect | ?? Scaled 6 high-growth startups (US & EU)| ??? Host @ The Ugly Phase Show | ?? Ex-Fortune 500
3 小时前‘Do your best and wait’ sounds like outdated advice for a world that rewards iteration over perfection. Success isn’t a finish line; it’s an ongoing process of feedback and refinement. Curious—have you seen teams struggle with this ‘best’ mindset even at the leadership level?