The Competency Trap: How Smart People Sabotage Their Careers

Many people fall into the competency trap, which is the assumption that their established principles and mental models, that have served them all these years, will be sufficient in the future too.

They rely on familiar tools, skills and routines, getting into their comfort zone in the false belief that they don’t need to upgrade or change in this increasingly complex and competitive world, where change is the only constant.

• When we overcommit to our core competencies they become our only reality.
• We start to see the business world outside with the same internal view that has been harnessed for so many years when we strengthened and relied on the same skills.
• We strive hard to attain mastery in our core skills, but forget to incorporate other skills, habits and mental models that are required for us to thrive in the future.