Incompetence
There is a painful scene in Episode 4 of the TV show Generation Kill where one soldier has a rather direct conversation with a superior named “Doc” that goes as follows:
Soldier: Doc, look, we're all aware how much the men look up to you.
Doc: I'd like to know what you're thinking.
Soldier: I don't think so, sir.
Doc: This is your chance to get a little something off your chest.
Soldier: Are you asking me to speak frankly?
Doc: Yes.
Soldier: Well...well, sir, it's just that you're incompetent, sir.
Doc: I'm doing the best I can.
Soldier: Sir, it's not good enough.
How did that make you feel? Did you feel any pain? (Maybe because you are worried that you might be Doc?) Or did you admire the soldier’s bravery? (Maybe because you have always wanted to say something like that to your boss?)
Perhaps this is not an ideal story to share – how often is the leader being called incompetent by their subordinate? It’s usually the other way around, isn’t it?
I want to take a closer look at incompetence.
The inability to do something successfully.
That is how the Oxford Languages defines it.
This online dictionary even included an interesting graph on its use over time. Take a look below.
Do you see how the usage of the word “incompetence” has grown since 1800, with a slight downturn in 2019? That is a little disturbing to me with a tiny bit of hope. The climb seems to align with the various industrial revolutions which put a focus on productivity and growth for everything except the downturn which may be recognized as the loss of dignity and humanity.
The word “incompetence” is one loaded word for me. How many times have I heard someone tell me how incompetent someone else was? I’ve lost count. In every case, it was almost always derisive – rarely was it stated as just a matter of fact.
The connotations of “not good enough” are overwhelmingly real, and frankly, unhelpful from my perspective.
As I think about it though, I wonder if there is ever really incompetence.
There are just the things I can do, the things I can’t do, and the things I can’t do yet. It doesn’t require any qualifier, in my opinion.
Let’s look at this through the eyes of a potentially frustrated leader who has been thinking their team member is incompetent – or unable to perform their job successfully. You will be that leader. I will be your guide.
First, let’s look at the facts as I see them.
You made the decision to hire this team member. Or you inherited someone else’s decision. An investment was made though, and all investments should be protected as much as possible.
You are ultimately responsible for ensuring this member of the team was trained properly, whether or not you delegated this training.
To believe someone to be incompetent implies problems have been occurring over a longer period of time. I doubt one mistake would be sufficient reason for calling someone incompetent. Again, you are ultimately responsible for not addressing this sooner.
Bearing all of this responsibility, how could you show more compassion for this member of your team?
Perhaps you won’t be surprised that I have some thoughts to share with you.
You should have multiple conversations with this team member – not just one. Ideally, it is just the two of you. However, I know some team members feel better having a witness and/or support in place. The point of these conversations is to gather information, which requires a lot of questions and follow up questions – not to assign blame.
What does this member of the team identify as the problems they are experiencing?
Having heard from the team member, what else can you add to fill in any gaps? See the possibilities below:
Is it a training issue? If so, what do they need to bridge that gap in knowledge and experience? Can they do this on their own or will others be required to help?
Is there a systemic reason for these problems? Maybe there are technical issues? Maybe there is missing information? Maybe there is a problem with the team’s way of working? Maybe you are getting in the way?
Is there a different problem with the environment?
Is there a problem with how they work?
Is there a particular problem with one or more of the roles which isn’t well suited for this person? Is there another role which they would be better suited for? (Let’s keep in mind that sometimes we sign up for things we later find difficult to do – maybe because we discover our strengths lay somewhere else. For example, I have learned I should not fix small equipment which my Kolbe A assessment helped me realize after scratching the viewfinder in my camera while trying to clean it.)
Is there anything else?
Once the problem or problems have been identified, then you need to assess these problems to ensure those responsible have a game plan to follow. The following questions might help in that assessment:
Who is responsible for solving this problem?
Who should be consulted?
Who will benefit from this solved problem?
What solutions have you tried in the past to deal with this problem? What worked? What didn't work?
What is the biggest obstacle which is preventing you from dealing with this problem?
What would it mean to you to not have this problem anymore? How would things change? What would your life at work look like?
Is this problem related or connected to another problem? If so, which ones?
Who will bear the costs of solving this problem?
Is this problem masking a larger problem? Sometimes you won’t know until you solve the first problem.
Can this problem be managed? Some problems are gravity problems – that is, they aren’t actionable. You can’t fix gravity. And if you can’t fix it, then it isn’t a problem. Don’t spend too much time here.
What can you do differently to either solve or diminish the pain associated with this problem?
There is so much to uncover when looking at someone as being incompetent, don’t you think?
Now, it is possible that this team member might not be a good fit for the role, or the team. That doesn’t make them incompetent – this just isn’t a good fit. It would be nice if that team member could see that for themselves and leave on their own accord. If you do need to help them move on, please do so in a manner which keeps their dignity in place.
There is a lot of space for curiosity and forgiveness here.
If only every manager and every leader treated their team members with this approach.
Wouldn’t that be better?
Resources
I adapted questions 4-6 of the problem assessment above from Noah Kagan’s blog post: https://okdork.com/hit-1-amazons-bestseller-list/.
Burnett, Bill, and Dave Evans, D. 2016. Designing your life: how to build a well-lived, joyful life. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. p.77-78 of 575.
Cover image by Tammy Brimner
