Competence Trigger

It may be an oldie, but it was new to me. I came across a reference to Patrick McKenzie’s post about salary negotiation on his blog: kalzumeus.com. Not only was his voice one I enjoyed reading, but he articulated some issue that had been rolling around in my head in a less formed state.

One aspect that really stood out was his reference to Ramit Sethi’s Competence Triggers. I have been doing this for years when ordering espresso. A few questions allow me to quickly gate the barista’s knowledge and understanding of coffee.  This helps me not look like the asshole who continues to grill a person past their area of knowledge. However, you better believe I still make a judgment about about the person behind the counter …not to their worth as a sentient being, but certainly as to whether I would listen to anything they had to say about coffee. I had never thought of this in relation to salary negotiation and it is a really helpful mental bridge to cross.

As I think about my work and my area of expertise, it is clear that I and my colleagues make decisions quickly (let’s be charitable and call these First Impressions) about people we work with based on the first interaction. While that opinion can change, it isn’t easy and it never happens as fast as it was originally made.

Instead of bemoaning this fact, I will work hard to make sure I prepare for and trip the right Competence Triggers going forward.