If it hasn’t happened already, I promise it will. At a point in your career, in some capacity, you will come across an incompetent co-worker -be it a peer, a team member or even a more senior employee. Your attempts to change them may not work. However, learning how to deal with an incompetent co-worker is a guaranteed win.
I know how much working with unskilled colleagues can be frustrating, especially when you are ambitious and constantly striving to succeed. Not only do your achievements depend on them, but it hits you hard on a personal level. You wonder how they landed their jobs. You ask: why am I being expected to outperform, be at my best, crawl my way up to a promotion, when others are acting like tourists in the workplace? Sometimes, it becomes personal. You start resenting them. You lose your ability to evaluate their words and actions objectively.
Incompetent co-workers are not only toxic to individuals. They can also harm a healthy work environment. When they hold key jobs, they can prevent a company from achieving objectives. Employees begin to reconsider the culture of the organization. Is it one that fosters and rewards high performance or does it let underperformers get away with it? They could raise question marks on the recruitment process and its credibility. And, if they are in a leadership position, it might make some employees feel entitled for a promotion. Finally, they can impact the reputation of the company. A company that promotes or keeps incompetent workers might find difficulties attracting and retaining talent.
Setting the record straight- Unskilled people are unaware of it!
Two things you should know about your incompetent co-workers: they did not choose to be inept, and they are most probably oblivious to it. In a study called “Unskilled and unaware of it” conducted by Justin Kruger and David Dunning, the two psychologists conclude that “incompetent individuals have more difficulty recognizing their true level of ability than do more competent individuals”. They add that these people find it difficult to recognize competence in others. Hence, they are less capable to “gain insight into their true level of performance by means of social comparison information”.
A large contributor to growth is observing high performers, identifying what makes them great and learning from them to rise to their level. Kruger and Dunning make it clear for us that incompetent individuals are unable to do that.
Knowing this, some of you might start feeling sorry for them. Others are thinking “That’s not my problem”. It’s not. I know. However, this helps you manage your expectations and tone down the negative emotions.
The Don’ts- How NOT to deal with an incompetent co-worker
Your immediate reaction may be to do these. However, I must tell you that they are all sub-optimal ways to handle the situation. Here’s our list of don’ts:
Don’t involve your emotions: As frustrating as it may be, you need to leave your emotions out of it. Recognize how the situation makes you feel but don’t drown in negativity. This will not make them any better and it will keep you unhappy.
Don’t excessively complain to your manager about them: Speaking up is very important. And reporting underperformance is crucial to the success of the organization. However, doing it repeatedly might position you as a negative person, especially if no one else has the guts to say it. It makes it look personal and you lose your credibility in assessing others’ successes and failures. Stay balanced!
Don’t gossip: These people become the hot topic of the organization. Everyone looks for cues to start the conversation. That’s because finding others who feel the same way and venting is a great relief. But it’s only temporary. Gossiping increases the magnitude of the situation. It creates a ripple effect that becomes hard to contain. You might think you’re blowing off steam. However, you would have intentionally created an even more negative work environment.
Don’t alienate them: The easiest solution when dealing with an incompetent co-worker is to keep them out of your business. Trust me, it’s not sustainable. You can’t get rid of them this way and it will only portray you as someone incapable of collaborating with others and resolving conflict. Companies look for team players and not solo acts.
Don’t do their job on their behalf: I know that you’re desperate to get the job done. You want to succeed, and you have exhausted your options. However, doing their work will only give them credit while they remain unskilled. It doesn’t help them change for the better and erases any evidence of their incompetence. They will keep depending on you to do the work and it will send the wrong message to the organization. The first thing people will think is “she doesn’t do her job and gets away with it. I can do the same”.
The Dos- How to deal with an incompetent co-worker
First, allow me to set your expectations. You cannot do magic! What you can accomplish is improve the working relationship so that the business and you wouldn’t have to suffer. I propose to you a 3-step process: Understand, support and report.
Understand
When dealing with an incompetent co-worker, attempt to understand why they are not performing well. It could be that they misunderstood the task itself or are unsure how to complete it. They could be demotivated or perhaps rebelling. A possible reason is also that they do not feel the urgency of the task.
Next, identify their strengths. Everyone has abilities. You need to uncover what they are good at and have them focus on it. It’s also helpful to praise them on their qualities. It gives you more credibility when you mention their areas of improvement. After all, if someone only gave you bad reviews, would you still believe them?
In contrast, note down the areas where this co-worker is not able to succeed. If they can be improved, provide your support, or seek one.
Support
Once you remember this person is not deliberately incompetent, you will shift from criticism to assist mode. Even if they are more senior, these tactics can help you improve your working relationship and achieve your common goals.
Start by setting clear expectations. Your co-worker needs to know what is requested of them. Incompetent people tend to distract others by giving excuses and going around the topic. This is how they made it this far. Therefore, you need to have specific action items they would be accountable for.
Communicate with them how their work can contribute to the outcomes. I always find myself telling them “The success of this project largely depends on you. We are ready to take this action (specify) whenever yours (specify) ends.” You may be faced with a rejection by fear of accountability. However, the message would be out there, and they would have to comply. It is also helpful to objectively evaluate the project every step of the way. Make sure not to point any fingers.
Offer learning opportunities. This is a very easy one when the person reports to you. However, when they are a peer or more senior, it gets tricky. For peers, you can suggest a team training everyone can benefit from. As for senior leaders, you can involve a subject matter expert as a member of the team. The latter can give advice on the way forward and potentially improve your co-worker’s performance. You can also ask HR for more support.
Finally, reshuffle duties. Divert your co-worker’s tasks to someone else. It’s simple if the person reports to you. When it comes to your peer, involve your manager. You can even do it smoothly by telling them you want to develop other people’s capabilities. If they are more senior, propose putting someone on a gig. They would love to see others take over responsibilities and develop them. If needed, ask them to assign a mentor to that person, perhaps someone on their team or someone with a regional role.
Remember to approach them with kindness. They will be more likely to respond.
Report
Leadership also involves being able to assess and report underperformance. But you need to do it objectively. Hence, document everything! Make all your communications written. Keep minutes of every meeting. This will prevent misunderstandings and when it’s time for you to speak up, you would have clear examples.
Inform their manager. When all else fails, you have no other choice than to report. Make a solid case and support it with evidence. Another option would be to involve their manager in meetings. Allow them to see what you are seeing, without having to say it. You’d be surprised how lucid people are when you least expect it.
Be prepared to let your team member go. There comes a time when you tried everything, it’s just not working, and you need to make the tough decision.
In a perfect world, we only work with people as competent and driven as we are. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Luckily, we get the opportunity to develop ourselves to deal with any kind of co-worker. This is your chance. Take it!
What do you think? Tell me about your experience. Keep the conversation going!
Feature Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash