Square Pegs in Round Holes - Really?
In work environments today, employers typically evaluate an individual’s suitability for a job primarily based on their competence level. The underlying idea is straightforward; if someone possesses proficiency in an area, they should excel in a role that demands that competence. While this reasoning makes sense on the surface, it fails to acknowledge a crucial aspect of performance; individual high-performance is most often achieved when one’s responsibilities align not only with their competencies but also, with their inherent personal strengths.
"Competence alone does not always translate to performance."
Competence is crucial but doesn't always reflect in an individual’s work as high performance. Sometimes individuals action tasks without feeling any drive or fulfilment in completing them. Assignments based on competence that does not align with ones innate strengths and interests, more often than not result in a disinterested, exhausted employee and underwhelming results.
The connection between competence, passion and performance has been extensively proven to be true over time. Workers who feel motivated and enthusiastic about their job, show dedication to their responsibilities. If a company overlooks this link and focuses solely on competence levels, it may find itself in a situation where employees are placed in roles that do not challenge them enough or fail to keep them engaged, leading to either high staff turnover or lackluster performance.
Companies that prioritize competence over everything, may unintentionally end up with a team of employees that do just enough to keep them from getting into trouble. When workers are consistently assigned to positions where they are competent, but that don't match their natural strengths base, the company could be missing out on opportunities to develop high performing people into high performing teams.
Encouraging individuals to thrive and grow naturally in environments that highlight their strengths is key to fostering creativity and a sense of ownership over one’s work. With a competence driven placement approach, individuals might face limitations in their abilities as they are often tasked with activities that do not fully engage or challenge their unique strengths.
Relying heavily on competence can pose risks not only in terms of missed opportunities for development, but also in terms of causing significant mental and physical health issues. Taking up tasks that do not resonate with one’s strengths during most of the working hours, may result in heightened stress levels and fatigue which could eventually lead to burnout.
Burnout doesn't just affect the employee; it also impacts the performance of an organization negatively. When employees feel burnt out, they are less efficient, struggle to come up with original ideas and are also more inclined to take time off because of stress related health problems. Organizations need to understand the significance of matching job responsibilities, with employee’s strengths to avoid cultivating environments that lead to unhappiness and fatigue.
Focusing too much on competence can lead to ignoring the importance of teamwork in achieving success at work; a well-rounded team with a mix of strengths tends to perform better than relying solely on individual competence levels.
Taking this approach ensures that team members support each other effectively by leveraging their strengths and talents to the fullest extent possible. The sole focus on competence in defining team roles may lead to limiting the variety of problem-solving strategies within the team. Valuable strengths like communication skills, adaptability and strategic thinking may not receive recognition if task-based competencies take precedence.
When considering employees for roles within a company or organization, making decisions based on their competence levels may not always be the best approach to ensuring success and growth in the long run. There are advantages to taking into account strengths as well when making these decisions, as it can lead to better engagement from employees and prevent burnout. By embracing a strategy that focuses on a combination of competence and strengths, a business can truly unlock its workforces potential resulting in increased efficiency, new ideas and sustained achievements.
The evolution of employment doesn't solely depend upon an individual’s competence. It works when competence and inherent strengths have equal importance in evaluating a person’s suitability for the work to be done.
by Mark Deavall
August 2024
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