If today you suck not, suck tomorrow - you will.

The stats say if your performance doesn’t suck today, it likely will tomorrow.
In the middle of a downturn, it's easy to blame the economic environment for our performance woes... and it's easier than you might think to unwittingly encourage a culture of complacency.
Here are a few of points to consider.

• In 2013 over 40% of businesses indicated complacency over performance was an issue and this percentage is rising.
• In 2014, Engagement is rising among the lowest performers.
• Meanwhile, Engagement is falling among the best and brightest.

When engagement is high, and performance remains low – complacency has set in.  When people have drank this Kool-Aid, it becomes increasingly difficult for even the best leaders to bring positive change.

Only by maintaining a factual perspective can everyone see there is a problem. Teams must set meaningful targets and make those intensely personal for each person.
In a Yoda-esque statement, former CEO, and chairman of the board of Intel Corporation, Andy Grove said, “Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive.”  Leaders must remain ever vigilant.

"Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive." 
-Andy Grove, former CEO and Chairman, Intel 

Complacency is the result of inaction by leadership; and inaction is a choice

"Do. Or do not. There is no try." 
-Yoda, Jedi Master 

Low performers are complacent because they are allowed to perceive they are succeeding at something. I consistently come across performance issues which are rooted in leadership not holding everyone to a “standard of success” based on the creation of real value.
The good news... it can be prevented, and it can be reversed.