Most of us dread having to cope with an incompetent coworker. Typically, such people are unaware of the negative impact, they’re having on those around them. They may not be willfully stupid, nor do they screw up intentionally, but they continue to make costly mistakes and blunders as if they didn’t know or didn’t care.

Incompetent people tend to be set in their ways and may not appreciate the need for doing anything differently. It will be a challenge to change their behavior but learning how to apply the five levels of the Competence Index (CI) will help you make the most of your predicament.

Keep in mind that these are not bad people; they just behave in an incompetent manner under certain conditions. To make this exercise more realistic, imagine yourself the following situation:

Level 1: Doesn’t get it and probably never will.

Situation: Ed, the head of marketing, is not providing the information your team needs to do its job effectively. He doesn’t respond to your emails and his comments at meetings indicate his limited understanding of his obligations. He decides on a course of action without consulting you, which is why he is often wrong. This behavior is impacting your performance.

Strategy: Ed sees no reason to seek information from outside sources, so before you can change Ed’s mind, you must open it. Here are some steps that may help:

1. Arrange a mutually convenient discussion over lunch or after hours. Meeting in his office gives him control, so your best bet is to select a neutral site off campus.
2. Ask him for his help in resolving a specific problem. Provide an example of what he can do to involve himself more with you and your staff.
3. Present the situation as factually and unemotionally as possible. Don’t speculate on how others may feel about him.
4. Avoid any direct criticism or suggest that he needs help, since that will be counterproductive.
5. If he challenges your assessment of the situation, don’t waste your time arguing. Make it clear that there will be consequences if he continues in this manner. 

Knowing how to apply these strategies should help you identify which competencies a particular person is missing. Then, you’ll be able to assist him or her to develop those skills and abilities, which in the long run will minimize the risk of rejection.