The Situation
Recently, I was talking with a client who had just accepted a new job. She is exceptionally bright, accomplished and capable. Still, she had some concerns about transitioning into the new role. She was not concerned with getting to know her new direct reports or her skills or her knowledge of the function. She was primarily concerned that, because it was a new industry for her, she didn’t know all of the ins and outs, terms, acronyms and other industry specific knowledge. This was causing her some anxiety.
Her plan, she told me, was to buckle down and dig into all of the information, take any applicable training, and try to bring herself up to speed. She said after she felt more competent, she could come up for air, and then start to set up meetings with her new peers. She was ready to walk right into the competence trap.
Why We Become Trapped
This scenario isn’t uncommon, and it’s not limited to starting a new job. It can also occur at the onset of a new project or gaining a bigger scope of responsibility in one’s current role. There is a tendency to place the value on what we know rather than who we know or how we do it, that is driven by fear of being ‘unmasked’ as a ‘fraud,’ or a desire to demonstrate the same level of competence that has gotten us to where we are.
The problem with this approach is that it results in a competence trap that diminishes our success. When we put our nose to the grindstone to learn all of the things, we fail to build the relationships with the people who can help us be successful, direct us to resources, make connections and, frankly, help with the workload to actually do all of the things. We can also come off as aloof or unapproachable when our head is down, our door is closed and we are avoiding people for fear of looking stupid.
How to Avoid the Competence Trap
- Remind yourself that you were hired (or given the opportunity) for a reason. Others believe you are up for the challenge. They knew you didn’t have all the knowledge when you were offered the opportunity, but they also knew you had the skills and resourcefulness to excel.
- Start setting up meetings to connect with colleagues and peers. Don’t forget about those more junior, support / back-office resources, folks from different functions / departments, or people you know outside the organization who might have a valuable perspective.
- Ask a lot of questions. Jot them down ahead of time, but leave mental space for things you think of during the conversation. Include questions
beyond the what, so that you can determine informal networks, downstream impact, historical context, etc.
- Ask who else you should talk to, and then ask for an introduction. More conversations will help you start to connect the dots, and that will become evident to those you engage with. A little sincere flattery never hurts such as “So-and-So says you are a great resource to talk to about (insert topic).”
- Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know. The people you connect with will appreciate that you are asking them, and that you value their knowledge and insights. Everyone likes to be viewed as an expert. And, if they are one of the rare people who doesn’t want to help, you will also learn something valuable about who to get things done through.
- Thank people for their time and expertise.
- Kick butt!
How About You?
I’m curious, what steps would you add for avoiding the competence trap?