Bambi Eloriaga-Amago
Ignorance, it turns out, really is bliss. Recent studies show that incompetent people cannot recognize just how incompetent they are, while competent people are continuously doubting their abilities to do well.
Dr. David Dunning, professor of psychology at Cornell University, shares results of his research showing that incompetent people are extremely confident in their abilities. Because of this, they are also highly unaware of their ineptitude.
The reason for this blissful ignorance, researchers state, is that the skills required for competence are the same set of skills one needs to have to be able to recognize competence.
Justin Kruger, assistant professor at the University of Illinois, explains that “Not only do they reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it.”
This holds quite a significance in the corporate setting. When incompetent people are shocked about getting fired, maybe it’s not just an act. Perhaps they never had any clue about just how badly they were doing the job. Given the results of the study, supervisors now need to explain just how bad an employee is doing and what expectations they have of him. Shouting the ubiquitous “you suck,” just won’t cut it. Apparently, since they won’t be able to recognize it themselves, it needs to be spelled out that they need to shape up or face termination.
On the flip side, competent employees also need to hear just how well they are doing. Praise for doing a good job is needed. As research shows, competent people are also doubting their abilities to doing a job well.
