Reading Time: 5 minutes

Trust is essential to any relationship, even in the workplace.  Trusting that everyone within a team is accountable for completing work correctly, on time, and within budget is the standard by which organizational success is measured.  When confidence is lacking about how others perform, mistrust and distrust can lead to low morale, poor productivity, and even hinder company growth.

Whether it’s a leader or a co-worker who is incompetent, cohesiveness will decay if the issue isn’t resolved.   A study published in Training Magazine reported that instead of being assertive about incompetence, workers engaged in nonproductive behaviors, such as complaining, doing extra or unnecessary work, and harboring negative feelings about the coworker and the problem.  It found that the cost of silence was estimated at $7,500 per worker, while the cost of avoiding critical conversations was more than $50,000 per worker. (1)  Since toxic conversations and energy are contagious, imagine how expensive incompetence is to the average organization.  This cost is why incompetence can be a silent but dangerous issue in a seemingly healthy corporate culture.

Is incompetence always as it seems?

Chakshu Kalra, Director at GreyB, noted why team members missed specific allocated tasks and gave them a strategy to help set things right. (2) She pointed out in a company-wide email that ignorance was not the issue but a lack of understanding. People don’t always know what to care about, so managers and leaders need to communicate their vision, share their employees’ story, and convey their vision and beliefs. The problem is not ignorance on the part of the employees. It’s a lack of understanding of why you do what you do.

Dealing With an Incompetent Boss

It doesn’t matter who the employee is, whether they are the company’s newest employee or a long-term employee with multiple years of service. The chances are that they will have to deal with a manager who is incompetent at one time or another. In fact, contrary to a widespread assumption, rising the ladder doesn’t guarantee that leaders are effective communicators or even good at their jobs.

The boss or manager should never interfere with work performance. It doesn’t matter if it’s intentional negligence, narcissism, or gross incompetence; the boss’s negative traits should not get the better of any employee. Employees need to know how to work with a less-than-ideal supervisor. (3)

  • Identify the Incompetence – Employees need to take the time to understand their boss. As employees seek to reevaluate what they perceive as their bosses’ incompetence, they may conclude that their bosses are competent. Or they may confirm that they are incompetent. The boss still deserves respect, even if they are not a competent boss.
  • Ask for Help – The chances are that if one employee feels like the boss is incompetent in their leadership role, others in the office will feel the same way. Peers both inside and outside the organization should be consulted for advice.
  • Confront Your Boss but Remain Professional – A confrontation with a boss can be intimidating for employees, but this shouldn’t prevent healthy conversations from taking place. Employees should not expect their boss to retaliate against them if they speak up.
  • Be the Better Person – People need to be better and not let their boss’s behavior interfere with their career development.
  • Focus on Positives – Employees have choices. They can either focus on their manager’s incompetence or on the people they enjoy working with. The second option is better for their mental health. But if the unfavorable conditions and experiences outweigh the positives, the employee may want to consider the following strategy.
  • Look for employment elsewhere – If the employee has tried all the strategies up to this point and has found their boss unbearable, they may want to consider changing to a different job in the same company or finding employment elsewhere.

Employee Behaviors That Are Worthy of Recognition

Rewards and recognition in the workplace are often based on measurable employee performances, such as making or closing a deal, resolving customer complaints more quickly, or exceeding sales quotas. These are all examples of when an employee needs to be recognized for their performance. It stands to reason that these skills are why the employee was hired. Companies hire salespeople not only to sell but to excel at selling.  Companies spend a lot of time rewarding those employees who excel at bringing in revenue.  They don’t spend much time rewarding the employees whose contributions are small or significant (but small). Every individual in the company has a responsibility to understand and contribute to the company’s culture.

Employee behavior refers to an employee’s response to a situation in the workplace. This reaction is also a top factor in creating a positive work environment. And, just like other skills and talents, good behavior needs to be appreciated to elicit the most effort from employees. Here are a few employee behaviors that should be recognized.

  • Humility -Everyone loves to take credit, but only a few people will accept their own mistakes. When an employee acknowledges an error and self-reports, managers need to take notice. This humility calls for immediate recognition of the employees’ readiness to change and learn. Recognize the humility, but do not humiliate.
  • Adaptability – Employees with the ability to adapt and respond to the changing demands of the organization should be appreciated. They are the ones who would take up challenges and still perform quite efficiently.
  • Teamwork – We live in a competitive world where everyone views everyone else as a potential threat. Having workers who can communicate with each other is a bonus. This ability to work as a team should be recognized by praising them openly or with tangible rewards. It will encourage additional employees to come together and work as a team, which is essential for a company’s success.
  • Problem-solving ability – Rather than merely stating the issue, keep the employees happy if they bring you a resolution to a problem. These employees will drive the company forward and take it to the next level. These employees possess the qualities of a leader and deserve the highest recognition.
  • Confidence – A robust and confident employee will be more likely to succeed. On the other hand, workers who lack self-confidence and are uncertain about their job performance will suffer. An employer or boss has the job to ensure that the employees feel good about themselves.
  • Dependability – A dependable worker will need far less supervision than other employees. They can be trusted with the company’s confidential and sensitive issues. Dependability is the quality at the top of the list that employers look for in employees. With dependable employees, work keeps going, deadlines are met, and problems are dealt with precision. The bottom line is that the company continues to function smoothly. It is advisable to recognize dependable employees. (4)

How Do You Recognize and Reward Employees?

This inability is where incentive programs can prove valuable. The key to effective incentive programs is to design them around short-term goals that lead to long-term behaviors. These incentives, combined with the internal motivators that continually drive workers, will lead to job satisfaction and increased longevity.

The employee is not the only person being affected by incompetence in the workplace. Both the employee and the employer are on the losing end. The consequences can be enormous. All employees need to function as competent individuals and have their positive behavior recognized. Not all employees are motivated or driven by the same factors.

Management should hold regular one-on-one meetings with each employee to understand their unique motivators. From there, leadership can structure truly effective incentive programs, rather than merely adding a bullet point to a job title. Rewards can be simple and meaningful, such as a genuine act of public appreciation. Or they can be more prominent, such as time off, gift certificates, or a dinner for two at a local restaurant.  Each supervisor needs to know their employee’s motivators and ask them what type of incentive they would like.

Discover more inspiring ideas for exciting experiences that boost morale and engage your people. Contact Gavel International for details.

_____________________________________

SOURCES:

  1. https://trainingmag.com/interpersonal-incompetence-costs-organizations-time-and-money/
  2. https://www.greyb.com/real-reason-behind-incompetence-workplace/
  3. https://lensa.com/insights/dealing-with-incompetent-boss/
  4. https://blog.vantagecircle.com/employee-behaviors/

This article was last updated on June 11, 2025

Jim Bozzelli
Latest posts by Jim Bozzelli (see all)