For a manager, what’s the one thing worse than an incompetent subordinate? The answer to this old corporate axiom and riddle surprised and amused me so much that it inspired this briefing. The answer…
The only thing worse than an incompetent subordinate is a hard working, incompetent subordinate.
Here are two more commonly held axioms to help explain it.
The hard working incompetent doesn’t know when to stop digging. He/she gets deeper and deeper into trouble and the damage takes longer for you to un-do if it can be repaired at all.
All too often our admiration for raw effort blinds us to the fact that little is being achieved. In organizations where measurable accountability wanes, one of the few criteria we have for evaluating performance is effort. Bob works so hard, how can we criticize him? The Puritan Ethic can lead us to confuse activity with achievement.
Do you have any hard working incompetents that are hindering your potential for achievement?
There is a time and place to embrace or even celebrate your ignorance.
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2 Responses
I had a devious, deceitful subordinate. I was out of town on business. While gone, it went to the corporate president and said my top client wanted to work with him, not me. When I called in for messages, I was transferred to the president and told of the conversation. I immediately called the client, who was surprised by the request.
I yield.
Devious + Deceitful > Hard Working