All, all?
After talking about processes and people in previous articles, as part of all the problems a manager may find, I wanted to close these articles with the most important one:
3) OWN INCOMPENTENCE
Processes or people are related to external factors to oneself. When you enter the organization, you will be given a starting point, and during your work there will be changes in that starting point that you will do, or that you will be imposed.
However, how you deal with every situation that you are given, or how you react to the changes that are needed… It is only related to yourself; your own capabilities, personality, behaviour, stress, your own fears, values… This is the most important thing that we usually miss to analyse deeply as a manager: to understand who you are, what triggers you, and what is behind your actions.
I said “miss” because it takes time to dig and understand yourself, your behaviour, your internal reactions causing your actions and your own shortcomings. For some people is more natural, for others it takes a journey.
Many people searched for taking a leadership position because it is higher in the organization, and we want to prove that we are “successful” (maybe I am talking only about myself, but I am sure more will be related). We tend to look up because the social convection to do so, without really looking inside and understanding what is the best way one can grow oneself.
All our decisions are influenced or directed by our internal self (sometimes without being aware). For example:
- Would you take the same decision if your job position is on stake? Some people may say yes, but would you take the same decision if your job is on stake, you really need the salary to pay debts, children staff… and you are afraid about the time you will need to find another job? Maybe some people would, I would not.
- When you reply to other colleague’s comment, is it fact-based reply, or is it emotional one? Are you afraid of that person’s intentions affecting you? Is your ego taking ownership of your reply? Is it questioning your professionalism?
- Would you take a decision knowing what is best for the company, or for yourself? For avoidance of doubt, if you thought “both”, you are 100% in the second group.
Knowing your own limitations, “your own incompetence,” is digging inside yourself and finding what is behind your behaviour. Are you afraid of people finding that you do not know? Do you suffer the impostor’s syndrome? Do you mind what external people think about you?
This “journey” is complicated. I call it “journey” because it is not static; the complexity resides in the lack of a single answer. You are changing over time, and some of your values do too. Even the perception you create is different with different people. And it is normal that there are different opinions about yourself. You do not behave in the same way under different circumstances and people will see different parts of yourself creating a different view.
The important is to be aware of who you are. When it comes to “own incompetence” you need to distinguish what can be changed, what is going to be difficult to change, and what are areas that you can learn.
If you are aware of your shortcomings, you may be able to improve dramatically in some of them, or you may have to spend a lot of effort, and the improvement can be residual. In that situation, it is better to focus on other areas where your effort pays better off.
For example, I hate talking in public, but with the time and practise I have improved it. I am far away from being a good speaker, (I prefer to write) but I have improved.
As a summary of the last 3 articles, in my view, all the problems that a manager can have, will require 3 tools:
- People problems “truly” empathy, the word “truly” is important, as some managers just pretend to be (this consumes energy).
- Process problems. the ability to organize chaos (this consumes energy)
- Own incompetence. knowledge about yourself (this requires time and curiosity).
The last thing I can say, and perhaps the most important one to deal with all the problems that you may encounter as a manager, is that until you do not understand what really motivates you and brings out the best in yourself, as well as your own shortcomings, you won’t do well as a person, manager or leader.
