Fixing Talent Management Systems – The Road Less Taken
By Michelle Malay Carter on November 13, 2007
I came across an article on FastCompany.com entitled, Ten Habits of Incompetent Managers.? The list appears below. It’s written by a Talent and Career expert with an impressive pedigree including a former CEO position. Obviously, an experienced and competent lady.
Within her list of ten habits, I took the liberty of bolding the seven symptoms commonly seen when an employee is overcommitted in his/her role.? Meaning the complexity level of the role is beyond that of the current cognitive problem solving capability of the employee.? The remaining three unbolded habits could potentially point to the same root issue but more investigation would be required.
Ten Habits of Incompetent Managers
? Bias against action
? Secrecy
? Over-sensitivity
? Love of procedure
? Preference for weak candidates
? Focus on small tasks
? Allergy to deadlines
? Inability to hire former employee
? Addiction to consultants
? Long hours
When you see these habits, yes, it likely means the employee is incompetent in his/her current role.
What makes me sad about the article is that rather than viewing the managers who display these habits as honorable people mismatched to their roles, the author chooses to write them off as them incompetent. Once again, we are taking the road of blaming employees rather than addressing the system that allowed for this person to be hired into the role in the first place.
If these “incompetent” managers were redeployed into roles matching their current capability, these signs of incompetence would likely disappear.? Their incompetence is contextual not inherent.
For those organizations warring for talent, take heed.? Just because a person is failing at one role does not mean they should be kicked to the curb.? In reality, the failure of the employee is a failure of the original hiring manager who slotted the employee in a role above his or her head in the first place.
Unfortunately, labeling employees as incompetent is easier than ensuring an organization’s managers understand work levels and are trained to match employees to roles.
Research shows that 35% of employees mismatched to their roles in terms of problem solving capability.
I’m OK. You’re OK. Let’s fix the system.
Filed Under Requisite Organization
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