The concept of core competence emerged about two decades back when those writing about corporate strategy came up with the idea in the context of competitive success. They posited that knowing and focusing on what a business does well and establishing what differentiates it from its competitors is the best way to position and to stay competitive in the long term. Corporations spend a great deal of their resources developing and focusing on their core competencies.
The same concept applies to individuals. We have our core competencies that allow us to confidently move ahead and to beat out competitors in our own fields of endeavor. In our professional development we focus on discovering and nurturing our core competencies throughout our life; we flaunt them to define our brand and we trumpet them to get attention. Our core competencies generate our present success.
Core incompetence[1], on the other hand, is something that gets in the way of our future success and something that interferes with our ability to properly–or even fully–deploy our core competencies for our ongoing development and growth; it conspires to limit us or even defeat us and quietly betrays us in our chance to self actualize our true potential.
This article is aimed at presenting the concept of core incompetence and at suggesting some ways on how to deal with this silent enemy within us to manage our own professional development so that we can stay competitive on an ongoing basis.
Core Competence Defined: At an individual level we possess attributes-core competencies-that come from two sources: nature and nurture. The natural attributes we possess are our gifts; our hardwired “operating system” that allows us to do some things well, right from the get-go. The nurtured attributes are best built upon our natural gifts and, together, they give us unique advantages in the way we manifest as we navigate through our everyday obligations and challenges.
Nurtured skills, developed on the foundation of our natural gifts greatly amplify our ability to manifest, giving us competitive advantage. It is like polishing a rough diamond that is good to begin with. It can only get better with proper cutting and polishing. Any other substance, no matter how hard, cannot match that unmistakable fire and brilliance of a well-processed diamond, no matter how well polished.
There are many avenues to discover one’s natural gifts, which are our aptitudes that manifest early in our life. Many assessment tools are available for those interested in discovering their aptitudes. These tools are frequently used to define one’s career paths. Pursuing a certain academic avenue and engaging in appropriate vocation that align with our innate gifts further burnish the already latent talents that we possess.
The nurtured part of our core competence emerges from our diligent application and proper channeling of our natural gifts with a specific end in mind. For example, if someone has a great gift for music, they can increase their capability by learning how to play a musical instrument that interests them. As they develop their skill by learning the technique and practice by playing the instrument they master it and become a highly skilled player. Their core competency is now playing the musical instrument they are so good at. The key attribute of someone manifesting their core competence is that whatever it is that they do appears effortless.
As one develops this skill the way it is practiced and the techniques used in the execution of how the instrument is played also become an integral part of the skill. As one increases their diligence and intensity with which they apply themselves to their craft, they develop an increasingly defined way of execution. How they play their instrument goes on to become their unique “operating system.”
Herein lies the rub.
As one becomes growingly better, even successful, at what they do, they also become less and less open to other ways of doing things. These ways can open doors for them to yet greater heights of achievement and can further improve their reach and prowess. If one is not open to continuous learning, their success often results in developing learning disabilities that eventually create a death spiral leading to their ultimate demise.
Stories of such death spirals immediately following spectacular successes abound. In one instance Henry Ford, who pioneered the assembly line for mass production in the early 1920s, was immensely successful developing the Model T Ford, which then was the most purchased mass-produced car, selling some 15 million units (nearly half of all card sold then), making Henry Ford one of the richest men alive.
Henry Ford’s spectacular success soon became his own nemesis when General Motors came up with cars that Ford refused to build, having features Henry Ford did not want to offer, such as a selection of colors (“They can have any color that they want, as long as it is black” as his insouciant response was reported), optional equipment, and a variety of models consumer so desperately wanted to be seen as individuals. Soon, the Ford Motor Company was confronting extinction until it came up with its Model-A in the early ‘30s in response to General Motor’s offerings. Even then the company continued to struggle until it was finally saved in 1946 by his grandson, who took the helm from Henry Ford, making drastic changes.
More recently, Microsoft refused to accept that its success selling software and operating systems for the exploding PC industry was blinding its ability to face the emerging reality presented by the Internet. Microsoft had to throw its considerable resources making an end run, facing ridicule and overcoming Netscape, then a puny upstart, which would have put Microsoft in dire straits if it had not been able to overcome the competitive threat quickly, albeit reactively. Originally, Microsoft had dismissed the Internet as a passing fad and a distraction. Now Google is, once again, posing similar challenges to it and giving it a run for its money.
Similar setbacks occur to individuals who rely too much on their core competencies to help them navigate through their professional crossroads. The following prescription is offered to deal with the issue of core incompetency at a personal level:
- As you develop your strengths and skills, carefully listen to your “customers and competitors” to see what you are missing out on and evaluate how you can master those attributes. Learning is often painful, but the rewards of continuous learning are undeniable: you will never be obsolete!
- Use your skills only when they create value and not at every turn. Metaphorically, this is akin to having an expensive hammer and using it as a tool for not just hammering a nail quickly, but to also for drilling a hole, shaping lumber, and for turning a screw; it cannot work. Be mindful of your limitations or learn how to be a “Swiss Army Knife” by acquiring synergistic skills and knowing when to use them appropriately.
- If you are retooling and reinventing yourself do not expect to immediately capitalize on your newly-acquired skills (still your core incompetencies). Instead, develop a connection between the new opportunity and your core competency so that you can create value in the context of what you are already good at.
- In this era of knowledge explosion, it is impossible to keep up with the expanding knowledge on any subject, let alone related subjects. The best way to stay on top is learning how to learn. Anticipating how your particular skill area is emerging to deal with the evolving flux is how one can stay on top.
- Learn how to listen non-judgmentally. When our ego is involved we find it difficult to openly listen to new ideas that threaten our ability to create value in the emerging environment.
- Constantly take calculated risks and evaluate your own ability to achieve the outcomes you set out to achieve. As Winston Churchill once said, Success consists of jumping from failure to failure without admitting defeat.
- Do not dwell on past failures but leverage the learning from those failures to improve your odds of success in your new ventures. When you take this attitude, there are no failures!
In today’s rapidly changing world, having a core competency as your selling attribute is not enough, you must learn how to manage your core incompetency as well to stay viable.
[1] This phrase was originally coined by Dr. Prasad Kaipa, a noted executive and life coach.