You must have read 7 habits of highly incompetent people by Eric Allen Bell sometimes by now (original author Michael Lee of the highly acclaimed How To Be An Expert Persuader… In 20 Days or Less.) Inspired by this work, I have added 3 more points* to this 7 listed work. This article is NOT intended to be offensive, however. An effective person would address them directly not passive aggressively. If after addressing these people directly, you still aren’t satisfied with these people, move on, you will be doing them and yourself a favor. You can’t control or change other people. You can control and change yourself (as commented by by May). Hope this article gives you way out to be highly competent and of good habits.
1. They Think, Say, & Do Negative Things.
Yup. They see problems in every opportunity. They complain that the sun is too hot. They cursed the rain for ruining their plans for the day. They blame the wind for ruining their hair. They think that everyone is against them. They see the problems but never the solutions. Every little bit of difficulty is exaggerated to the point of tragedy. They regard failures as catastrophes. They become discouraged easily instead of learning from their mistakes. They never seem to move forward because they’re always afraid to come out of their comfort zones.
2. They Act Before They Think.
They move based on instinct or impulse. If they see something they like, they buy at once without any second thought. Then they see something better. They regret & curse for not able to take advantage of the bargain. Then they spend & spend again until nothing’s left. They don’t think about the future. What they’re after is the pleasure they will experience at present. They don’t think about the consequences. Those who engage in unsafe sex, criminality, and the like are included in this group.
3. They Talk Much More Than They Listen.
They want to be the star of the show. So they always engage in talks that would make them heroes, even to the point of lying. Oftentimes they are not aware that what they’re saying is not sensible anymore. When other people advise them, they close their ears because they’re too proud to admit their mistakes. In their mind they’re always correct. They reject suggestions because that will make them feel inferior.
4. They Give Up Easily.
Successful people treat failures as stepping stones to success. Incompetent ones call it quits upon recognizing the first signs of failure. At first, they may be excited to start an endeavor. But then they lose interest fairly quickly, especially when they encounter errors. Then they go & search for a new one. Same story & same results. Incompetent people don’t have the persistence to go on and fulfill their dreams.
5. They Try to Bring Others Down To Their Level.
Incompetent people envy other successful individuals. Instead of working hard to be like them, these incompetent ones spread rumors and try every dirty trick to bring them down. They could have asked these successful ones nicely. But no, they’re too proud. They don’t want to ask advise. Moreover, they’re too negative to accomplish anything.
6. They Waste Their Time.
They don’t know what to do next. They may just be contented on eating, getting drunk, watching TV, or worse, staring at the blank wall with no thoughts whatsoever to improve their lives. It’s perfectly fine to enjoy once in a while. But time should be managed efficiently in order to succeed. There should be a proper balance between work & pleasure.
7. They Take the Easy Way Out.
If there are two roads to choose from, incompetent people would choose the wider road with less rewards than the narrower road with much better rewards at the end.
They don’t want any suffering or hardship. They want a good life. What these people don’t know is that what you reap is what you sow. Efforts & action will not go unnoticed. If only they would be willing to sacrifice a little, they would be much better off. Successful people made it through trials & error. They never give up. They are willing to do everything necessary to achieve what they aspire for in life.
8*. They talk about People.
Often we hear an old adage: There are three kind of persons in this world, first kind talk about events, second about actions, and the third about people. So, wasting time by talking about people and backbiting is their great habit. Taking about people is good for them since they are highly competent towards alluring or indulging in other’s domestic matters.
9*. Give lectures than do work.
These people keep on giving lectures rather than doing works. They are highly talent at discussing about the nature and the periphery of the work, but don’t execute the work. Whenever a work has to be done in group, they try to take the part of NOT doing work rather making others work. I wonder if this is the job of any office boss or CEO.
10*. Prioritize Last things First.
When they sit to jot down the priority list of any action, the first thing that strike their mind is the least prioritize thing to put in the list. These people are expert at prioritizing last things first. They can never judge which are the tasks to be completed on top priority and which tasks could be kept on backburner, which would in turn result into projects getting delayed to the point of no completion. (by Purvesh)
I have found one presentation slide about habits of highly incompetent people in slideshare, go thru it below. – 7 habits of highly ineffective and uncompetitive people
The original article “7 habits of highly incompetent people” republished by:
