What role does competence play in our day-to-day life?
Ever heard of the Dunning–Kruger effect? It is a cognitive bias where people with limited ability in a specific area overestimate their own abilities. This is not to be confused with the popular belief that “stupid people are too stupid to know they are stupid”. Instead the Dunning–Kruger effect applies to skills in specific tasks. It is the bias where low performers are ignorant of their incompetence as they lack the metacognitive ability to become aware of their incompetence.
Poor performers often try to compensate for their sub-par performance by building their social capital while their actual output continues to derail. They all start a new role with enthusiasm, and only migrate to low performance in very small steps. When poor performance goes unchecked or unnoticed, it eventually, flourishes. Poor performers often turn into difficult or even toxic employees due to their behaviour (values), which if tolerated, can sabotage the long-term prospects of the organisation and negatively impact their colleagues – their low performance means someone else is having to do part of their tasks, and they then build indifference to the needs of co-workers.
The Dunning-Kruger effect also outlines that high performers, in contrast, often underestimate their performance, because they know they do not know it all. True high performers have the traits of consistently producing results while contributing to a healthy and collaborative work environment.
How to recognise & deal poor performers
👉Watch for patterns, patterns do not lie.
Be aware of people who do not do what they consistently say they will do. Most people make excuses when it comes to committment simply because their low ability equates to low performance.
Within HE, I often come across staff with low ability, especially in basic computer usage. I have had colleagues with excellent computer skills on their CV who do not know how to add an email signature, how to add an out-of-office, or even line managers who do not know how to take minutes, or do not know how to use a mailbox. These people are happy where they are, and obviously overestimate their abilities and performance and demand a promotion.
👉Nobody ever gets offended by a statement that does not apply to them.
Remember, you get triggered only by the little voice that you tell yourself already, which gets manifested when someone else states what they have observed from what you are projecting.
If anyone gets defensive, it is a clear sign they are triggered by their little voice, which is dictating their behaviour.
Since poor performers have limited ability, they are bound to be uncovered one day or the other, and will be expected to explain themselves. The situation may very quickly turn into a defensive argument. Nonetheless, actions will have to be taken especially if they have shown a pattern.
👉 Poor performers will do all they can to boycott progress
Poor performers are usually not happy seeing others get ahead of the game or get promoted. Remember, they are overestimating their abilities and often see themselves as more skilled in their team. They may therefore boycott progress because they do not want to feel incompetent compared to those who are bringing progress.
Leading with competence
Nowadays, I lead with my heart open, I lead with trust, but then I watch for these warning signs above. One thing I have learnt is that accountability, commitment and engagement are personal preferences, but at the same time coincide with traits of high performers.
For any poor performers out there willing to shift into a high performer, if you want to develop and master a skill, you will have to invest time and money – oh yes – mastery is not for free. There is no shortcut to mastery, and I will highly recommend getting a mentor or a coach.
Further reading
Do you want to learn more what the Dunning-Kruger effect is about?
Impact Coaching & Mentoring (ICM) for Leaders 
This is so true, I have came across people who talks so highly of them and then when it comes to the work actually its below average, I wondered why they do these, now I got to know. Thanks for this insightful post.
LikeLiked by 1 person