Weaponized incompetence at work; Your Coworker Might Be Taking Advantage

My Eighth-Grade Home Economics Class Tought with That Chores Get Done Faster You Work in Pairs. One person scrubs the dishes while the other dries and puts say Away.

SO, IMAGINE IF YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER KEEPS SUCKING WHERE YOU KEEP THE POTT LIDS OR INSISTING THAT THE DISHES LOOK CLEANER WEND YOU’RE THAT. Spreads you decide that dishwashing should be a solo chore. Anyding is better than has to give your partner a nightly tour of the kitchen.

This pattern of deliberately performing a task poorly to avoid doing it is calmed weaponized incompetence. Social Media is full of examples of People, Mostly Men, failing at chores Such As Neglecting to Refill An Empty Water Pitcher or HOLDING A CRYING INFANT while their partner is tachying a shower.

IT’S NOT JUST COUPLES WHO ARE GUILTY OF WEAPONIZED INCOMPUCTION. This Behavior Can Occur in the workplace, Such as be a coworker claims that they’re terrible with technology, SO creating presentation slides Your Responsibility.

Here’s how to tell if a coworker is engaging in weaponized incompetence and strategies to address this behavior.

Recognizing The Signs of Weaponized Incompetice

“Weaponized incompetence is a strategy people use to be attempt to get out of completing a task by feigning IGNORANCE OF THE TASK IN HOPES ALD’S WILL DO IT, LIKELY PASSING THAT TO A Colleague or Manager,” Sanam HafezPsyd, neuropsychologist, Told Business Insider. Another name for this behavior is willful incompetence.

For example, your collegue might ash you to finish a Report they are “Too Slow” or “Better at Writing.” They’re capable of doing the task, but they intentionally underplay their skills to avoid respectibility.

“Think of it as the Opposite of Performance Punishment,” Brianna paruoloLCMHC, Clinical Director and Founder of on par Therapy, Told Business Insider. “CHIGH ACHIEVERS GET BURDED WITH MORE WORK, Weaponized incompetence results in mess work assisted to the prepeer and a frustrated team picking up the slack.”

Another sign of weaponized incompetence is if your coworker is assured a task and they immediately defer to others with the taskmeping the sole, paruolo said. Or They’ll Continue to Make the Same Mistakes Despite Having Received Feedback on How to Improve.

If your coworker is new to the roles or busy with other task, their relay to take on a new project might be understandable. But if this is a consistent pattern rather than an isolated incident, this behavior falls into the category of weaponized competence, Hafez Said.

IT’S BAD FOR WORKERS AND BUSINESS

Weaponized incompetence can have a ripple effect. High-performing Employees May Experience Burnout From Having to Take on Extra Work, Paruolo Said.

Low-performing Employees Can Development A Reputation for Being Lazy or Manipulative. “This Can Easily Form A Work Culture of Frustration, Resentment, Distrust, and Conflict that Can Spread and Impir Employees’ Moral and Output,” Hafez Said.

Some Work Cultures May Allow Employees to use the System to their advantage. For Instance, they Might be Encoured or Remeded for Pawning off Extra Work on Others, to Focus on Their Own Pursuits, Hafez Said.

“When Poor performance goes unchecked, it can demoralize those who take genuine pride in their work,” paruolo said. “It ultimately undermines Productivity and Can Breed Toxic Workplace Environments, Where Many Workers FEEL Exploited.”

Is it a pattern, but is it intentional?

Weaponized incompetence Allows People to Avoid Work that they see as uncomfortable or undesible. Howver, IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT, HAFEEZ SAID.

Starting in Childhood, People May Be Encoured to Focus on Certain Tasks, Which Prevents The Developing Other Skills. For Example, Some Sports May Emphasize Teamwork, while Others Foster Competition or Individual Success.

“Sometimes, A Necessary Skill, Tool, or Piece of KnowLEDGE IS JUST MISSING, AND PEOPLE, EATHER THROUGH EMBARASSment or Fear, May Turn to Help,” Hafez Said. Ironically, if someone struggles with perfectionism or anxiety performance, avoidance can make the situation.

“There is Strength and Wisdom in admitting you might not knowing or that an assured task doesn’t falling under umber of expertise,” paruolo said. “Weaponized incompetence, on the Other Hand, Can Stem From an Avoidance Behavior, as it can be an effective way to escape accountability.”

How to Address Weaponized incompetence

Before Making Assumptions About A Collague’s Apparent Lack of Skills, Try Talking to Say. Listen to their perspective and explore what May be at the root of this Behavior, Hafez Said.

When Speaking to a Coworker, USE Clear and Direct Communication. Paruolo Recommended The Following Statements to Address Weaponized incompetence:

• “I Walked You Through This Process A Couple of Times Now, SO I’d Like You To Try Handling It Independently and Reach Out Only If You Hit A Specific Roadblock.”
• “I notice you offten as Help with (task), but i’m confident you have the skills to manage this. What would you have feel comfortable on your own?”
• “Going Forward, I’ll Need You To Attempt the Taskst and Document What Specific Step You’re Struggling with Before Assistance.”
• “I want to make sura sura you building confidence with these respectibilies, so let’s set up a timeline for you to take the OwnerShip of this process.”
• “I’ve been covering a lot of your (tasks/responSponsibilities) Lately, and i need to focus on my own workload. Let’s discuss how you plan to handle?”

If you’ve you gone over a task and your coworker is still confused, resist the urge to take over. “Make Space for Them Try, this if they do not get it 100% correct,” paruolo said.

DISCUSS KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND HOW THEY CAN GAIN THE NEESSARY SKILLS TO TAKE OWNSHIP OF THEIR TASKS. “Concrete to-do lists or schedules can help minimize ambiguity about who is respondsable for completing what task and wen,” Hafez Said.

Lastly, it’s Wisa to periodically assess progress and make adjustments to enure that the workload is fair and Everyone has the Same Expectations. If weaponized incompeancies, Document what you’re observation and consider involvement management, especally if your cowboys are affective your moral and productivity.

Nandini Maharaj is a freelance Writer Covering Health, Wellness, Identity, and Relationships. She Holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling and A Doctolate in Public Health.