The Peter principle.

[Brewdude]

Any of you familiar with this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle

Comments and observations welcome.

TIA


Cheers,

RR

 

[Wet Dottle]

I read the book as a teenager. Short and interesting, an easy read I recommend to anyone. And yes, I think there's lots of truth in it. There's also a second book by the same author that shows how to avoid the pitfalls of Peter's Principle.

 

[MisterE]

Yes, and often true unfortunately!

 

[Doc Manhattan]

I've seen it in effect--made my father's life a real misery the last ten years of his career at Nameless Computer Corporation.

Of course, if you work at a family-owned business, you don't get the Peter Principle, but you get a whole different set of problem. Sometimes business is "in the genes"... usually not.

 

[DrT999]

I read the book as a teenager.

I did as well -- and I have certainly seen it in action in the halls of academe, Ivy-covered and other!

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Well I work for a fortune 500 company with 40k employees and I can certainly see proof of this theory.

 

[Brewdude]

Thanks for the responses all.

I ask since there's a situation going on that has all the hallmarks of the "Peter Principle" in my business. And while the individual does not report to me directly, their performance affects the whole company. So naturally I'm concerned.

In particular, I'd be interested to learn how any of you dealt with this.

TIA


Cheers,

RR

 

[DrT999]

Thanks for the responses all.

I ask since there's a situation going on that has all the hallmarks of the "Peter Principle" in my business. And while the individual does not report to me directly, their performance affects the whole company. So naturally I'm concerned.

In particular, I'd be interested to learn how any of you dealt with this.

I drink wine and smoke a pipe, but then I don't carry any real responsibility beyond my self, I just have to live with the fall out (as opposed to being able to do something about it)

 

[MisterE]

It is totally applicable to symphony orchestras. I deal with it daily :suspect:

Usually the person in question will become involed in union work, or branches out into administrative roles. In some cases they excel there where they don't as performers. Most have intimate and working knowledge of every letter of the labor agreement and use it to their fullest benefit. :evil:

 

[mark]

I watched it in action for years,,,The ladder becomes slippery if new top management takes over,,,but the cycle starts all over again,,,overachievers fare the worst, especially in a hostile "office politics" environment

 

[Doc Manhattan]

In my experience and observation, the way to deal with Peter-promoted management is to demand details of anything they ask or propose, and keep a paper trail.

You don't have to worry about the 90% of the time when you and an incompetent manager agree that your job is to do your job--it's that 10% of the time when they feel like they have to manage for the sake of managing. Words like "vision," "long-term," "outcomes," or "So I just read this article..." still put me on edge.

Tell me the details of what I have to do, how I will be evaluated on it besides "feelings" or "impressions," and I will use my training to do it right. Until then--until management actually manages the plan--I'll keep doing my job and wait to try this or that fad.

Yeesh, sorry for the rant... clearly this issue puts a burr under my saddle :x

 

[DrT999]

Words like "vision," "long-term," "outcomes," or "So I just read this article..." still put me on edge.

If I had a dollar for every 'interesting' or 'thought provoking' article an administrator has sent me, I'd have a couple of hand-carved meerschaum pipes!