The term “weaponised incompetence” has become common on social media, with people sharing stories about how their partners use this strategy to avoid tasks. The perception that weaponised incompetence is on the rise in the workplace may simply be a result of increased awareness and discussion.

However, the implications of weaponised incompetence in the workplace are significant, requiring effective management. Weaponised incompetence can impact on productivity, working relationships, employee engagement and retention. It also has a significant impact on team cohesion, as other team members are forced to pick up the slack, leading to frustration and conflict.

If this sounds familiar, it is not surprising. You can probably think of an example of using weaponised incompetence in your personal or work life to avoid a minor responsibility, or perhaps you’ve encountered a master practitioner. In the long term, this behaviour can erode trust and morale within the team, and ultimately affect the overall performance of the organisation. Weaponised incompetence can not only create a toxic work environment but thrive in one.

We therefore thought it worthwhile to explore weaponised incompetence in the workplace, why it occurs and how to manage it.

What is workplace weaponised incompetence?

In the workplace, weaponised incompetence occurs when an employee feigns incompetence to avoid tasks or responsibilities. This behaviour can manifest in various ways, such as task evasion, consistently missing deadlines, justifying poor-quality work, or shirking responsibility for tasks deemed below or above one's pay grade. It can also be driven by a consistent lack of resources, or a resistance to or fear of change, which is more common in times of uncertainty like Australian employers are currently experiencing.

Signs of weaponised incompetence can include:

• Repeated mistakes in tasks the person should reasonably know how to do.
• Excessive need for help with seemingly simple tasks.
• Lack of effort to learn new skills or manage tasks.
• Frequent excuses for poor performance.
• No improvement after repeated, specific discussions.

It generally isn’t a once off occurrence, or most employees would be guilty of practising it. In many cases, weaponised incompetence simply involves pretending to be less capable than one actually is.

Why does weaponised incompetence occur?

Weaponised incompetence can be a highly conscious or subconscious action. It is essential to understand the root causes of the behaviour in order to address it, as reasons can range significantly. While it is often assumed that weaponised incompetence is due to laziness or rebellion, this may not be the case. Fear of reprisal for high profile tasks, low confidence, or a lack of sufficient training can be underlying causes.  

Key reasons for weaponised incompetence may be to:

• Shirk responsibility: avoiding extra work or effort.
• Avoid discomfort: offloading tasks they feel unequipped to tackle, or that cause anxiety.
• Seek attention: or alternatively eliciting attention, sympathy, or support.
• Maintain control: by either making a stand against the organisation, manager or a colleague and/or resisting change.

Like in personal relationships, weaponised incompetence may also be gendered in the workplace. For example, responsibility for boosting organisational culture or providing mental health support falls disproportionately to women. Male employees may be worried they will handle it poorly or recognise these are often less rewarded tasks, not responsibilities linked explicitly to corporate objectives.

How do you effectively manage weaponised incompetence?

Reducing occurrences of weaponised incompetence requires building a culture of learning, encouragement, self-sufficiency and accountability. This can be achieved through clear communication, setting expectations, providing training and support, and fostering a positive work environment.

However, a tailored approach will be necessary to address individual situations, and it is essential leaders have the knowledge, skills and systems in place to effectively performance manage and develop their people. One-on-ones are a good forum to discuss and recognise the patterns of weaponised incompetency, as it is essential to work together with the employee to identify and address root causes.

Where fear or low confidence are issues, mentoring and/or training will be required, along with modelling an environment where employees feel safe to take on responsibilities and make mistakes. However, when an employee believes a task is beneath them, helping the employee understand how undertaking this particular task contributes to or impacts on the team or the role is important. In some instances, compromise may be appropriate, such as providing support or reallocating another task.

Recognising and addressing weaponised incompetency early is also ideal. Research shows that employees want to work for a company that values fairness and transparency. If some employees get away with behaviours that others don’t, this will exacerbate the issue.

Putting a name to behaviours reflecting weaponised incompetency and understanding why it occurs is the first step. The aim for leaders is to address weaponised incompetence in the workplace to mitigate its negative impacts.

Acclaimed Workforce delivers specialist workforce management and recruitment services. Learn more.