The Peter Principle is a management concept that describes how people get promoted up to their first level of incompetency.
A common example is the brilliant scientist that becomes a manager as it is the only way within the corporate pay schedule to get a next raise.
From that moment on, they don’t function anymore and everybody around, including the person him/herself, get frustrated. In large organizations and government, these folks sometimes get promoted into an isolated position “where they don’t do harm”.
Last week, I checked in with a former client who mentioned a situation where a newly promoted supervisor turned out not to function, resulting in complaints from her former peers.
Instead of letting this fester, the owner sat down with her and together they agreed upon a demotion back to her former position, where she functioned well and was much happier.
Now, with the calm restored, the person can work on her leadership and management skills, and try again in 1 or 2 years.
I told my client how proud I was of her handling of this situation: she resolved it quickly, and in a way that was satisfactory to all.
Shopping Cart