In most professions today, competence isn’t the primary differentiator between people at work.
This article sits at the heart of our Being Human series — reflections on empathy, values, and how we are experienced by others at work.
What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Why Competence Isn’t Enough
Competence matters. You need to know what you’re doing.
And for much of our working lives, competence has been a key differentiator:
- You’ve stayed on top of industry knowledge.
- You’ve built — and reflected on — your experience.
But as you grow in your profession, the situation changes. You find yourself in rooms where everyone is competent.
It’s a world where anyone can sit at their desk and take a class with the world’s best teachers and experts — just by logging in.
And with AI, knowledge that once took years to accumulate has become widely accessible.
When everyone is knows what they’re doing, something else starts to matter more.
Who You Are Moves to Center Stage
As your know-how becomes less of a differentiator, something else distinguishes you from others.
How others experience you.
Your character, communication, and ability to positively influence others aren’t adjacent to the work you do.
They matter just as much as what you know.
That has raised the bar for everyone.
And it helps explain why one person continues to grow in influence at work while another, equally competent, does not.
A Competency Inventory
This reality shows up clearly when people are evaluated for senior roles.
Earlier this year, a senior person in Customer Experience management found themselves looking for a new role — and shared the news on social media.
In the post, they shared their credentials.
They catalogued everything they knew in a long bullet-point list: the platforms they had worked with, the methodologies they understood, and the conference stages they had spoken on.
I was struck by what the post did not cover.
There was nothing about how this person was experienced by others — or what they had achieved through their work with people across the organization.
And at a senior level, that matters.
When you’re being considered for a senior-level role, a potential employer will want to know:
Can this person execute meaningful change, at scale, through other people?
Two Career Phases, Different Dynamics
The idea that who you are is the work applies throughout your career — but it shows up differently early on than it does later.
Early Career: What’s Your Potential?
Early in most careers, competence is still forming. Gaps in knowledge are expected because people know you’re learning.
What they notice is how you show up while you’re learning.
For example, do you:
- Deliver on the basics — like being on time and taking feedback well?
- Take on additional responsibility without being asked?
- Treat other people’s time, effort, and experience with respect?
When leaders talk about you — and I’ve been around them when they do — they’re considering whether they want to invest in you, coach you, or give you more responsibility.
That’s just the reality.
You’re still developing.
But how you behave and communicate at work becomes part of how others assess your potential.
And don’t underestimate the impact you can have on others, even at this stage.
Pro tip: Help other people succeed.
Later Career: What’s Your Impact?
As careers progress, the weighting changes.
What matters more now is the positive impact you have on others and the system in which they operate.
You want people around you to be able to say:
- I trust this person.
- This person brings clarity to the work.
- Because of this person, things just work better.
People are rooting for you.
Being Human Is a Practice
Earlier in your career, it shows up as potential.
Later on, it shows up in the positive impact you have on people and the work around you.
In either case, it becomes a way of being — a daily practice.
There’s a lot more to being a professional human than how much you know.
Our Articles on Being Human
Across these articles, you’ll find stories and insights on values, self-awareness, judgment, relationships, and how we are experienced by others.
Reflections & Life Lessons
Personal stories and reflections that reveal what it means to grow, learn, and live with intention.
What a Month on a Mountaintop Taught Me About Contact Centers
A personal reflection on continuous learning, investing in yourself, and recognizing how much there is still to know.
Three Life Lessons to Reflect On at Year’s End
Reflections on personal growth, personality traits, and accountability.
What Tom Cruise Taught Me About Productivity
I was in charge of the Tom Cruise Fan Club — here’s what I learned.
Why I Keep Writing — And Why You Might Too
Writing isn’t about self-promotion — it’s about contribution and connection.
What I Learned Training People with Disabilities
True resilience is finding the strength to keep contributing positively, no matter the challenge.
Values Don’t Mean Much If They Don’t Cost You Something
Our values matter most when they require courage and come at a cost.
What My German Class Taught Me About Listening
A personal story that shows why listening to understand — not to reply — is a vital skill in work and life.
As a trainer, feedback shaped my work — but it has also shaped my life.
What I’ve Learned About Motivational Quotes
I used to be skeptical of motivational quotes — until one changed my perspective.
Why Manners Will Always Matter
At the heart of service and leadership lies something deeply human — experiencing slight discomfort while considering the needs of others.
Professional Mindset & Judgment
How values, awareness, and self-regulation shape how we show up at work.
Beyond Fortune Cookie Wisdom: Turning Words into Action
Inspiration matters — but people also need something they can do. Here’s why we should avoid Fortune Cookie Wisdom.
The Curse of Knowledge: A Cognitive Bias Explained
An exploration of how the Curse of Knowledge creates blind spots in communication, and how awareness and empathy help us overcome it.
“I Didn’t Sleep Well” Isn’t a Customer Experience Strategy
A reflection on discomfort, resilience, and what professionalism asks of us when we’re not at our best.
What Behaviors Do Customer Experience Professionals Display?
The mindset and habits that true CX professionals demonstrate — at work and beyond.
Strong Opinions Don’t Guarantee Good Decisions
Why humility and process beat ego and opinions in making smarter choices, in CX and beyond.
A reminder that between stimulus and response, we have the power to choose our behavior — at work, with customers, and in everyday life.
Would Your Client Want to Have Dinner with You?
Why professional relationships depend on more than expertise — and what the experience of working with you says about who you are.
What Makes a Trainer Engaging? It Starts with Who You Are
Why engaging training depends on more than presentation skills and subject knowledge — it starts with how people experience you.
We All Took a Personality Test — So Now What?
Personality assessments can build awareness — but what matters is how we use that awareness to work more effectively with others.
Thank You for Reading
I regularly share stories, strategies, and insights from our work across Contact Centers, Customer Service, and Customer Experience. If this article resonated with you, I’d be pleased to stay connected.
Feel free to get in touch anytime, or explore more of our work below.
Daniel Ord
[email protected]
www.omnitouchinternational.com
