A challenge for tomorrow's leaders.

        My son, beware of good enough,
        It isn't made of sterling stuff;
        It's something any man can do,
        It marks the many from the few,
        It has no merit to the eye,
        It's something any man can buy,
        Its name is but a sham and bluff,
        For it is never "good enough."
        (Guest, 1923).

Every month for the past 10 months, I have had the privilege of discussing topics I felt were important to me and timely. I hope that you have found these columns interesting and thought provoking. As I have reflected on the growth of our profession over my 35 years as an environmental health practitioner, I have also been wondering how I arrived at my current professional destination and how I managed to meander through this maze called "my profession." Reflection led me to wonder: Have I done the best I could, or did I do just "good enough?"

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After completing my master of science degree in dairy nutrition research and spending six months in active duty training in the Army for a spot as a medic in the Army Reserves--and getting married--I was ready to begin my career. The big question was: As what? Having held a series of temporary jobs, I decided to forgo my world of job-hopping that had involved such exciting stuff as punching the keys of an Olivetti-Underwood Posting Machine, researching the best way to stack bananas for freshness, and--the ultimate pleasure--trying to convince people that they needed to buy more furniture than their house or budget could hold. I decided to take a job as a sanitarian. Since I had absolutely no "connections" in the Big Easy, where connections were everything, I guess someone must have surmised that with some 90 semester hours of science, I could learn to become a sanitarian. My question to myself was: Would that be good enough?

When I started as a sanitarian-in-training, my mentors were, for want of a better phrase, a cast of characters. They were a mix of people who had college degrees, some who had only high school diplomas, and some who were there simply because they were faithful political allies or acquaintances of those with political "juice." I'm not saying this to cast aspersions on their work or skills, but to point out the realities of the times. I learned a tremendous amount from all of them. Mostly, I learned from those who were highly motivated, who understood that life is what you make of it. From those who were less motivated--I learned that I didn't want to be a Sanitarian I after working for 30 years. I didn't want to be supplementing my salary as a professional with income from another vocation such as working elsewhere as a salesman or owning my own ice concession company--however honorable those jobs might have been. No, I wanted to be a sanitarian, and the best sanitarian I could be. I accepted every assignment given me and asked for more, even while pursuing a master's degree in public health. For me, just getting by and doing only "good enough" were not an option.

   With "good enough" the shirkers stop
   In every factory and shop;
   With "good enough" the failures rest
   And lose to men who give their best;
   With "good enough" the car breaks down
   And men fall short of high renown.
   My son, remember and be wise,
   In "good enough" disaster lies.

The current environmental health workforce is a diverse conglomeration of people from different educational and vocational experiences. Those who enter the field with a strong science background are the most technically competent to understand the rationale behind the myriad of regulations and guidelines we are asked to enforce. When we understand the science that drives the regulatory mandates, we have a powerful advantage over those who don't. A science background gives us the tools to educate and explain to our clients--the public--the whys and wherefores of what we are asking them to do to improve public health.

When, however, we advance in our profession and are promoted to be supervisors, managers, and directors, we need to learn new skills that enable us to deal with labor unions, the news media, public advocacy and community groups, civil service, and human resources. This new set of skills is quite unlike logic-based science. We need the kinds of skills that become attributes, that enable us to prepare and sell our budgetary needs, evaluate employee performances, counsel troubled employees, and--yes--even dismiss employees. Our background in science neither prepares us to be fluid and artful negotiators nor prepares us in the art of testifying in court.

Where do you learn about these things? Our college careers did little to enhance "people skills." Sure, we can take seminars and read books like How to Deal with Difficult People, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Games People Play, or generic Management 101 to enable us to wing it until we become proficient. In the past, many of us were able to take graduate courses in public, health care, or business administration, or in communications or organizational behavior. While some of us still are lucky enough to be part of a workforce development opportunity with tuition, fees, and travel assistance, most of us learn under fire. The modern workplace provides no time and no money--not even an inclination on the part of our agencies or our employers to provide these opportunities--to learn skills that are not inherent in us. What will happen when those who have learned these skills depart? Are we prepared, and is the public prepared to accept "good enough"?

   With "good enough" have ships been wrecked,
   The forward march of armies checked,
   Great buildings burned and fortunes lost;
   Nor can the world compute the cost
   In life and money it has paid
   Because at "good enough" men stayed.
   Who stops at "good enough" shall find
   Success has left him far behind.

Workforce development is sorely needed--in any form. We must always prepare ourselves for those next steps in our professional careers. NEHA has been active in working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its leadership development programs. Also, there is much talk--and a bit of action--with respect to resurrecting the old CDC home study courses; these courses were excellent learning tools for community hygiene and public health issues. CDC must now consider adding courses of this type on topics such as how to prepare a budget, how to counsel employees, and how to deal effectively with the news media so that we can prepare ourselves to assume the responsibilities of managers and directors.

Our professional organizations need to put together training courses and professional development seminars that can be delivered at state and local public health or environmental health educational conferences. They should also partner in preparing short courses or seminars to be delivered online so that such courses are accessible to all professional sanitarians and environmental health professionals.

Motivation does not grow on trees. Those who want and need this type of training must be willing to go out and get it. You cannot afford to muddle around in mediocrity. You need to be "all you can be." You need to better yourself and be prepared to climb the ranks--to be ready, when opportunity knocks, to advance to the next level, where new challenges await you. You need to demand these things of your employer and, when given the opportunity, take advantage of them.

Let's give the public the protection from environmental insults that they deserve and ask for. Let's not say, "Oh well, that was good enough" or tell ourselves that there's no reason to avail myself of training opportunities because we can learn by the seat-of-the-pants. That's not good enough! We can and we must expect more of ourselves than that. Pony up to the bar while you're young and eager, and seek a professional future for yourself. Learn the skills that turn into attributes--that prepare you to take advantage of that "lucky break." Don't ever accept "good enough" in your life.

   There is no "good enough" that's short
   Of what you can do and you ought.
   The flaw which may escape the eye
   And temporarily get by,
   Shall weaken underneath the strain
   And wreck the ship or car or train,
   For this is true of men and stuff--
   Only the best is "good enough."

Did you know

The Providence AEC Program can be found on pages 9-29 in this Journal.

Information about the conference is also available at www.neha.org/AEC/2005.

Reference

Guest, E.A. (19 23). "Good Enough." In The passing throng. Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co., pp. 138-139.

James Balsamo, Jr., M.S., M.P.H., M.H.A., R.S.