ADEQUACY

Enough Is Better than the Best

Adequacy is a condition of being sufficient for a particular purpose. It is a fundamental concept.

When anyone flashes numbers before us, it is reasonable to ask, “Is it adequate for the purpose?” or “How much is enough?” The logic is simple: any number only has meaning in the context of endpoints, criteria, parameters, and measurements {ECPM}. A million dollars is a substantial sum if we want to buy a house for a family, yet it will be inadequate if we aim to build a clinic with 1500 beds.

Many concepts are applications of this one.

QUALITY is the adequacy of something to fit the desired purpose. For example, we bought a pencil to write a letter. Unfortunately, when we tried to sharpen it, it broke several times, and when we finally managed to point it, it hardly left any trace on the paper. Moreover, it scratched and tore the paper. Thus, the pencil is of low quality; that is, it was inadequate for our purpose. We bought another one, and this one writes smoothly, leaving a clear, dark line. Furthermore, it does not smear. Pleased, we say that the pencil is of high quality—adequate for our purposes.

COMPETENCE is the adequacy of someone’s skills to achieve the desired endpoint. When a person has shown that they cannot perform a task, we call them incompetent. Certification is a socially accepted way to signal the adequacy of a certified professional for a particular curriculum. Certification signals that a person’s skill set is adequate for a specific set of tasks. We use certification to decrease uncertainty. You do not go to someone who claims they can treat your teeth—you want someone with certification from a trustworthy institution.

ORGANIZATIONAL FIT is another form of adequacy. An employee must be adequate for her position. Administrative skill involves placing individuals in roles that align with their abilities. While there can be bad bosses and subpar workplaces, it is often not about having a good or bad workplace, team, or boss; it is about whether we fit in or not.

COMMUNICATION only happens and reaches its endpoint when it conveys a message adequate to the receiver of the message. The most obvious example of inadequacy is the impossibility of communicating with someone who speaks a different language. Yet, even in the case of both native speakers, they might not understand one another if the message, encryption, and transmission are inadequate to the receiver.