Performance v. Value

I remember sitting in the passenger seat, while my friend talked to me about performance and value. He eloquently explained that society helps us believe that our performance equals our value, but that thought is inherently wrong (and most definitely problematic).

As I listened to him intently, his words clicked with me. I think I had believed this idea for a long time; but as he weaved his narrative around the idea, I passionately grasped onto his message.

Performance does not equal value.

That sounds crazy. It sounds backwards. Businesses, organizations, churches, even friends seem to put a premium on performance. If a person’s performance isn’t up to the arbitrary line (set by whoever decides the arbitrary performance line), then the person/employee/friend ceases to be valuable.

There’s a problem in believing that performance equals value: it doesn’t account for the fact that every human has value regardless of their performance.
All too often people (and people groups) have been looked down upon and viewed as “not valuable.” There have been numerous human rights movements throughout history because a group of people refused to see the value in others (and this same erroneous thinking causes human rights movements today).

People are valuable. People matter. Because of their value and “mattering,” people deserve to be treated equitably.

There’s another problem in believing that performance equals value: it doesn’t account for the intangible qualities a person can bring to the table.

Jason Heyward signed a contract to play outfield for the Chicago Cubs in 2016: he signed an eight-year contract worth $184 million (with a $20 million signing bonus). He didn’t even come close to performing up to the level of this lucrative contract (but, let’s be honest, how could he). His batting average was .230, in his first year with the Cubs, (which means that he only got a hit in 23% of his at-bats). During the Cubs playoff run in 2016, his batting average was .104 (which is not good). In contrast, throughout the playoffs the previous year - with the St. Louis Cardinals - Heyward’s batting average was .357 (which is much better).

All-in-all, what he lacked at the plate he tried to make-up for in the field, and his defense was good. However, Jason Heyward’s value to the Chicago Cubs in 2016 had nothing to do with his batting average and little to do with his defense. His value was felt in an intangible way.

In Game 7 of the World Series, against the Cleveland Indians, the Cubs had blown a three-run lead. The game was tied at 7, as rain delayed this final game of the series. With just the players crowded in the clubhouse, the usually quiet Jason Heyward decided to give a speech.

“We’re the best team in baseball for a reason. Continue to play our game, support one another. These are your brothers here, fight for your brothers, lift them up, continue to stay positive. We’ve been doing this all year so continue to be us.”

It’s difficult to quantify the impact of a speech, but the Chicago Cubs give credit to this speech as a momentum-shifter that helped inspire them to win that game, once the rain let up.

Performance does not equal value.

Every time we believe that it does, we are choosing to believe a lie. Yes, performance can be poor and need to be fixed; however a person’s value does not waiver.

People matter. Intangibles help impact the tangible.

So every time we judge someone on their outward performance, let us look deeper.

Are we seeing the intangibles that they bring to the table? Are we viewing them as the unique and amazing person they are?

They are valuable. They matter.

Let’s work diligently to not get our wires crossed, to not just view them as a piece of data, becuase they (and we) are so much more.

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