Are You Feeding Incompetence?
We are walking contradictions, aren’t we? We want results, top performance, efficiency, effectiveness, more money. And then of course we want more time and freedom to enjoy life.
So why do we persist in feeding incompetence?
For example, I’m thinking of corporations that hire the right people but put them in the wrong places. Have you ever met unmotivated employees who perform poorly, or just average? HR sends them to expensive motivational or customer care trainings, only to realize that the money was wasted. Move these employees to a different position that suits them better, and they start performing as if they were geniuses.
I’m also thinking of entrepreneurs who want to do everything themselves. They insist on doing stuff they are not good at, and then have no time and energy left for their best activities, the ones that attract and retain their best clients. In the end, relaxed evenings and fun week-ends remain a dream. Running a business is hard work, you know…
The four zones
Gay Hendricks, famous psychologist and counselor, describes 4 zones in which a person can operate:
- The Zone of Incompetence: That’s activities we are not good at. Other people do them much better than we do, in a fraction of the time. For example: Repair the printer, build our website, create spreadsheets, etc. Pride and narrow-mindedness keep us stuck in this zone. We are blind to the time, energy and money it costs us, while producing poor results.
- The Zone of Competence: That’s the things we are good at, that others do well, too. When we operate in this zone, we do things mechanically, without passion. After a while we wonder why we are feeling bored, tired or unfullfilled. We feel we are not expressing our full potential, but tell ourselves hundred reasons why we should stay where we are.
- The Zone of Excellence: That’s the activities we do extremely well. If we operate a lot in this zone, we are probably quite successful and feel secure. Even so, we are not genuinely passionate about them, and deep inside we feel that something is missing.
- The Zone of Genius: This includes the activities that make us thrive and feel alive. They flow, they come naturally to us, we never get tired or bored of them. That’s where we get the best results, work feels like play, we fully express who we are, we use our unique talents and strengths, and magnetically attract the right people.
Honestly…
How much time and energy do you spend each day in each zone? What about your employees, where do you see them?
If you want to stop feeding incompetence, what do you want to start feeding instead? Competence? Excellence? Genius?
How do you stop feeding incompetence?
Well, that’s relatively simple: spot all activities you are not good at and either delegate, outsource or eliminate them. Do you have the guts to do it?
What about employees? Do the same. Engage with them and spot what they are not good at, then find better ways to employ them. It will take longer of course, but think about the time, energy and money it will save you. It’s like driving a car with a clogged engine. If you take time to clear it, you’ll be surprised at how fast and smoothly it races!
About the Author
Myriam Callegarin helps global corporate managers and entrepreneurs to successfully navigate the challenges of career and business reinvention. Find practical tools and inspiration in the Resource Center.
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I have a question, Myriam. Is the category of genius meant to exclude excellence and competence? For example, can a person be a genius at something without being competent in it? I understand the definitions for each category as they have been explained, but something is “not quite right” when you look at all definitions at once. Please elaborate!
This is a great question Monique! Genius is that place where things come naturally and effortlessly. You probably don’t even recognize your competence (or talent) in it, because it feels so natural that you never thought of learning it. When you become aware of your genius, you may want to get deeper and to expand your talent by adding knowledge, or maybe not. It depends on your level of trust in yourself. Think of Picasso: would learning special painting techniques improve his paintings, or reduce their uniqueness?
Hi Myriam,
Thanks for this inspiring article. I agree that if we do things we are “simply” good at, it feels like play.
The challenge I see, in prticular in the corporate world, is that employers look for people who function and who fit into a job description. Very often, those genius talents we have cannot be measured or monitored. They are soft-skills. Hence, the performance cannot be compated with others and hence many managers do not see the benefit. This not only happens within companies yet when you work as a service provider for those companies. It is all about the ROI these days. The soft-skills are considered to be an addition to your competence. Honestly, competence can always be found somewhere else – cheaper and faster. Yet personality is a real treasure.
I think it should be the other way around: Hire for softskills and teach people competence if there is need!
Cheers,
Gaby
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