“How do you make competence necessary?” Naomi asked.

“If you make competence a choice, it is no longer necessary,” I replied. “Competence is a practice. We get better, not because we choose to get better. We get better through practice. It’s the habits we choose, those routine grooved behaviors that determine our competence.”

“I get it,” Naomi nodded. “But I am still stuck.”

“In what ways could your team become more competent? What could they practice? Let’s take something simple. What time does your team get started in the morning?”

Naomi smiled because she already knew where I was headed. “We’re supposed to start at 8 o’clock, but you know, anytime between 8 o’clock and 8:15, and that usually involves coffee and a little joking around.”

“Joking around is good. If we’re not having a bit of fun, what’s the point? As a manager, do you want your team to become more competent at showing up to work?”

“Yes, but that seems a little silly, becoming more competent at showing up to work,” Naomi was still smiling.

“I agree, so let’s shift our focus, from showing up to starting on time. As a manager, do you want your team to become more competent at starting on time?”

“That sounds like a higher goal than just showing up,” Naomi agreed.

“Now, let’s pin starting on time to finishing on time,” I pressed.

“You mean, like meeting deadlines,” she connected. “Yes, as a manager, I want my team to become more competent at meeting deadlines.”

“So, what is the practice, what are the habits required for meeting deadlines?”

“You meet deadlines by starting on time,” Naomi settled.