Does incompetence really pee you off?
Georgia Murch (GAICD)
Founder of canwetalk.co Expert in creating teams and organisations that 'work as one', designing feedback cultures and leadership offsites. Best selling Author. Speaker. Facilitator.
“I don’t suffer fools” and “I don’t have time for stupid” are throw-away lines that we can often say with pride or in jest. If you’ve heard yourself say this then you are not alone. But here’s the thing.
What if the issue is not with them? What if it’s our reaction that is creating the problem, for ourselves? When someone that we perceive is not as smart, clever, fast or competent as us we are essentially making ourselves better than them. Yep Georgia, I get that. I am better, smarter, faster.
So how does that help? How does that knowledge about them not being good enough, help? It might help your ego. It might give you permission to dismiss them and their ideas. It’s also a way of reducing the emotional frustration you have when you connect with them or their work. It basically gives you an out somehow to the suffering they create – for you. Of sorts. But does it?
I’m with Eckhart Tolle, the author of The Power of Now and A New Earth. Where he floats the idea that human suffering (basically our emotions) arises from not accepting what is. So when others fall short of expectations, which leads to our frustration and judgement, then maybe there could be a different way.
The phrase ‘I don’t suffer fools’ stemmed from the early 17th century by Paul the Apostle. In its original translation, it was ‘Suffer fools gladly’. It was an invitation to increase our tolerance and help people live in co-existence. It didn’t mean ignoring it or don’t discuss it when things are not done well. But it was about doing it with grace and compassion.
If you have what I call an ‘Incompetence trigger’ and you are not aware of the impact it has on you, and those around you, then I reckon it’s time to look into it. It’s the second most common trigger in the data we have so far. No wonder we are in such challenging times at work at the moment.
A little more compassion goes a long way I am learning.
Start 2025 with a fresh perspective. Understand your workplace triggers before they understand you. Take our What Triggers Me Off diagnostic to learn what your triggers are.
*If the link isn’t working you can copy and paste the URL into a browser
翻译：