You’ve seen it yourself. The brilliant editor who’s promoted to manage the department and never gets his hands on a manuscript again. The talented web designer whose new duties involve hiring, firing and team management; his web designing days are over. Are they good at their jobs? Are they happy?
The twisted logic of the workplace
Over 40 years ago, in January 1967, Dr Laurence J. Peter, a Canadian psychologist and professor of education, wrote an article which was to permanently change the way we look at the workplace. Later published as a book, “The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong” was written in a humorous style, but the shocking central argument was deadly serious. Dr Peter stated, “"In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence."
What he was drawing attention to was simply the way in businesses and government bureaucracies function, by routinely rewarding excellence with promotion. Reasonable? Look a bit closer. You’re good at your job; in fact, you excel at it. Sometimes you get a small annual pay rise that’s in line with inflation but nothing significant. So when you’re offered a promotion which promises prestige and a higher salary, you take it.
Not necessarily a good decision
As you continue to be promoted, climbing higher and higher up the career ladder into the stratosphere of senior management, the Peter Principle shows that at some stage you will, inevitably, reach a point where you permanently leave your field of expertise, finding yourself in a job which demands responsibilities you can’t fulfil.
Safely perched on your level of incompetence, as long as you don’t make any truly disastrous decisions you probably won’t be fired: you’ll camouflage your mediocrity, relying on the creativity, talents and skills of the people you now manage – people who haven’t yet reached their own levels of incompetence. Left alone to enjoy the fruits of your promotion, you will probably sometimes wish you could still work at the things you used to love. But at least you’ll have an inflated job title, a large salary and maybe even a company car to keep you company.
Employees: look before you leap
So, what are the lessons for those of us who feel the pressure to be hungry and ambitious?
Know your talents and your limits
If you enjoy the “hands-on” elements of your job, a career shift to a management position may not be suitable for you. Recognise this as a fact. You know yourself better than anyone else knows you, so don’t be influenced by the current “lust for superhuman accomplishments”. [1] It’s simply not true that if you’re not a “rising star”, you’re a loser. Fulfillment at work means doing what you enjoy and what you excel at; be proud of what you achieve.
Ask your boss about expectation
When you’re offered a promotion, talk with your boss about what the new job would entail. Making a negative decision without any discussion might be a cause for misunderstanding and won’t help your standing in the company, particularly if this isn’t the first time the subject has arisen. Bear in mind that repeated refusals will impact your career, so perhaps you should ask yourself at some point what it is you are really avoiding: stress or new challenges. Are you avoiding promotion because you know you wouldn’t enjoy it, or because you’re afraid you wouldn’t be good at it?
Prepare for promotion before it grabs you
If you do decide you’re cut out for management, start preparing in advance. Remember that what most management positions really demand is solving problems and people management. Of course, you have to know your business; but the fact that you are brilliant at IT doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be brilliant at managing a team. Go on a course and learn communication skills. It will prove invaluable.
In other words, be honest, with yourself and with your boss. If you’re happy in your current job but don’t feel that promotion would be the right move for you at the moment, say so. Do your job well and enjoy doing it. However, you need to make sure that your boss knows you are entirely committed to the company and that even though you don’t seek promotion at the present time, you welcome the chance to take on new and interesting tasks in your present position.
Employers: respect and reward simple competence
As an employer, you must realise that when employees go for promotion, it is often not because they want a different workload but because they need more pay. This may force the wrong people to seek promotion.
Reward staff for the excellence they show in their job
Even if someone has been doing their job for years. excellence does not devalue. So don’t only give rewards and pay rises if they go with job title changes.
Offer proper management training
But only to those people who are genuinely cut out for management. How do you recognise them? Not just by the fact that they are good at their jobs! They need to demonstrate a desire to be involved in the larger business of the company; to have questions but also solutions; to want to lead projects and carry out high-level tasks. So carefully watch your employees and only select those who show these characteristics.
Remember: insecure, unhappy managers make bad managers. And they are destined for failure.
Thanks & Regards,
S.Grace Paul Regan.
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