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THIS WEEK'S WRAP UP:
THOUGHTS FROM THE FRONT LINES OF DEI

How to Manage Low Performers Whose Confidence Exceeds Their Competence

By 
Jean Latting
October 22, 2024
By 
Jean Latting
October 22, 2024
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Image by Jopwell on Unsplash

At various points in my career, I've had the challenge of managing people who overestimated their own abilities. They believed they were more skilled than they truly were, which led to misunderstandings about their performance and my feedback.

They often felt I was being unfair by not giving them more desirable assignments or rating them higher than I did.

Two Examples

Scenario 1:
A team member once told me she could excel in a new position if only I would teach her how to do the job. I explained, as gently as possible, that I had deadlines to meet and couldn't train someone who didn’t grasp the basics. This wasn’t a training program; she needed to gain some skills first and then re-apply with new knowledge.

It was a tough conversation. She ended up in tears, and I felt a mix of sadness, frustration, and confusion. How could someone interviewing for a position expect me to teach them the fundamentals?

Scenario 2:
Another team member consistently returned assignments that missed the mark entirely. Initially, I was taken aback. When I asked why she hadn’t sought clarification, she insisted she understood the assignment perfectly.

This happened three times! By then, I was wondering whether I had entered the Twilight Zone. Her peers were managing just fine with similar instructions.

Finally, she broke down and admitted she had been taught never to ask questions and was afraid to even admit she didn’t understand me for fear of looking incompetent. My response? “But you don’t understand!  What else can you do but ask?” Another tearful conversation ensued, and I had to let her go.

Yet with her, there was a surprising turnaround. Three months later, she came back to my office, excited about her new job. “I walked in there asking questions,” she said. “Even when I thought I didn’t have any questions, I made some up just to see what would happen. Each time I learned something. That’s when it hit me—I really did need to ask more questions.”

We beamed at each other. It was a relief to see her get it.

 

Two women in white uniforms seated, viewed through a window. One woman is writing while the other leans down, looking at her notes with interest, creating a teachable moment in their work environment.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect

So, what’s going on here? Both individuals were likely influenced by the Dunning-Kruger effect—a cognitive bias where people with limited knowledge overestimate their abilities.1

This phenomenon was first described by psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger in 1999. In their studies, those who scored in the lowest quartile on tests of humor, grammar, and logic predicted their performance would be above average.

Why does this happen? Simply put, without sufficient knowledge or skills, it’s hard for someone to accurately assess their own performance. They might rely too much on personal feelings rather than objective facts about their work. As a result, they often see little need for improvement and may resist constructive criticism.

Eight Steps to Manage Underperformance

Managing someone who believes they are performing well when they are not can be tricky – and maddening. Here are eight strategies that might help:

  1. Clarify Your Intentions: Make it clear that your feedback is meant to help them improve and not to judge them. Your job is to help them get better, not condemn them for what they don’t know.
  2. Clarify What Success Looks Like: Ensure they know exactly what you expect from their role with detailed job descriptions and performance metrics. You should be explicit about the difference between excellent, very good, good, and not-up-to-par. Standardized metrics are ideal. You can’t argue with a ruler.
  3. Use the Teachback method2: Ask them to break down tasks into steps or explain back what they've learned as if teaching someone else. This can reveal misunderstandings.
  4. Provide Specific Feedback: Use concrete examples to show where their performance falls short. Be kind, yet honest.
  5. Create Accountability Checkpoints: Implement informal discussions about performance to build awareness before formal reviews. They should go into the formal performance review knowing how you view their performance.
  6. Shift the Questioning Dynamic: Encourage them to ask questions by normalizing uncertainty—share your own moments of confusion. If they say they have no questions, ask them to make up one. They need to know you are serious about wanting their questions.
  7. Document Everything: Keep detailed records of performance issues and feedback provided. You may need this, even if you don’t want it to come to this.
  8. Be Prepared for Difficult Conversations: If underperformance continues despite your efforts, be ready for honest discussions about their future with the company. Ask them are they happy in their job.

Meanwhile, pay attention to the effect of your efforts on the other team members. Are any of them picking up the slack from this low performer? If so, it’s not fair to them.

On the one hand, they may be reassured that you are making this extra effort to help their teammate. It lets them know they won’t be just blamed and kicked out without an effort made to retain them.3

On the other hand, they may resent the extra workload they are carrying from the tasks that got dropped or had to be redone. Think about how to have as honest a discussion as you can with the team members subject to your organization’s HR policies.

 

Three individuals engaged in a workshop, intently listening and learning. Two women and one man are seated at a table in casual attire, creating a collaborative and focused learning environment.

To Sum It All Up

Understanding the Dunning-Kruger effect can really help us navigate these tricky situations with more empathy and insight. It’s all about recognizing that some people might not even realize why they’re struggling, which can make our jobs as managers a whole lot tougher.

While it does take time and effort on our part, this is what leadership requires – if we want to create an environment where team members feel safe to learn and grow.

It’s not just about improving individual performance; it’s about building a stronger team overall. When people feel supported – and see their team members being supported, they’re more likely to engage, ask questions, and contribute to the team's shared success.

References

  1. Ehrlinger, J., Johnson, K., Banner, M., Dunning, D., & Kruger, J. (2008). Why the unskilled are unaware: Further explorations of (absent) self-insight among the incompetent. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 105(1), 98-121.
  2. "Yen, P. H., & Leasure, A. R. (2019). Use and effectiveness of the teach-back method in patient education and health outcomes. Federal Practitioner, 36(6), 284-289.
  3. Blaming, accountability, or empowerment: How to bring out the best in others (#143).

How can you take action?

Think about how you want to use Conscious Change to learn with others. If you plan to mobilize with others in whatever way you deem right for you, this is a great time to develop your skills.
Form a book club or dialogue group or join one of ours.
Tell us how we can be helpful to you.
Stay conscious and aware.
If you are reading this, we know you want to make a difference. 
O         O         O
•    •    •

How can you take action?

Think about how you want to use Conscious Change to learn with others. If you plan to mobilize with others in whatever way you deem right for you, this is a great time to develop your skills.
Tell us how we can be helpful to you.
Form a book club or dialogue group or join one of ours.
Stay conscious and aware.
Form a book club or dialogue group or join one of ours.
Tell us how we can be helpful to you.
Stay conscious and aware.
These newsletters are aimed at starting conversations. Email us at jeanLC@leadingconsciously.com. Responses may appear on our newsletter page.
Conscious Change book front and back cover.
Our new book, Conscious Change: How to Navigate Differences and Foster Inclusion in Everyday Relationships, was published July 9, 2024, featuring a foreword by Brené Brown and Myrtle Bell.

In the book, 19 authors describe how they used some of the six principles and 36 skills described in the book to navigate potentially polarizing situations in multicultural settings. We encourage you to order through our website, bookshop.org, Porchlight books, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
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We'd love to hear from you!

Did this resonate with your experiences as a leader in a multicultural environment? Share your thoughts in the comments or reach out at jeanlc@leadingconsciously. Your insights help us create content that truly supports you.  
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Dr. Latting has 20+ years of consulting and teaching experience for private and public sector organizations and is an experienced speaker and workshop host. She is available to speak virtually to groups including executives, managers, individual contributors, and community leaders to widen their multicultural awareness.

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