Picture this. You’re interviewing for a supervisory role. You explain why you should get that position and your technical qualifications. A few weeks go by, and you get a phone call — congratulations! You got the job! Your promotion introduces you to brand new tasks that you’ve never done before. Suddenly, those technical skills don’t seem to be coming in handy, and you’re feeling stuck and unsupported. Perhaps you’re feeling a bit…dare I say…incompetent? Has this ever happened to you? Or someone you know? Perhaps you’re familiar with this scenario but didn’t know it had a name. Enter The Peter Principle.
The Peter Principle Defined
In 1969, Laurence J. Peter introduced The Peter Principle in his book of the same name…so this isn’t a new phenomenon! Peter explains that individuals in a hierarchy will eventually rise to a level of incompetence. Essentially, an employee’s current skillset allows them to get promoted until they reach a position where they lack the skills to be successful. This can cause them to reach Peter’s Plateau, as you would not be competent enough to move to a higher position and would be stuck. Peter also explains that every position is bound to have someone who is in this dilemma at one point or another. So not only is the Peter Principle a detriment to the individual, it can also cause heartburn for an entire organization.
How does The Peter Principle happen?
Think back to when you’ve interviewed for a position. Looking back on those interviews, did you talk about your current qualifications? What about explaining what you would do in the new position? Interviews and selections are based more so on one’s current qualifications rather than their suitability for the new position. This makes sense to a degree, since we don’t have a crystal ball to predict the future. However, being competent at some skills may not translate to other skills. We’ve all known that manager who was a good technical worker, but was not great at managing people. This is a direct result of interviewing and selecting based on current qualifications rather than the skills necessary to be successful in the new position.
There’s more at work here than just poor interviewing. Have you ever applied for a position because you felt like you “should”? Perhaps your peers encouraged you? Or you felt a pressure to keep moving up to remain relevant or respected? Now…did you actually WANT the job? Maybe you did…but a lot of folks tend to apply for positions because of external factors or internal saboteurs. This has led to individuals applying for positions that they weren’t necessarily qualified for, or had the right motivations. That can ripple out to their colleagues and staff as well. You can tell the difference between someone who genuinely wants to be a manager versus someone who feels like that was their only option to progress in their career.
How can we mitigate The Peter Principle?
As someone who works in employee development, I’m not encouraging you from not applying for a position that you genuinely want just because you don’t have all of the necessary skills. But there are ways for you as an individual, as well as organization as a whole, to help stop the “stuck” aspect of the Peter Principle from happening.
Training
This one shouldn’t come as a surprise. New jobs will come with new tasks and learning opportunities. The key here is to provide relevant training for employees to make sure they are getting the skills they need to be successful. If someone is struggling with supervision, what aspect do they need help with? Don’t just send them to a blanket course that goes over everything. Do they need help with conducting performance reviews? Delegation? Understanding the timecard system? Cater the training more to the employees’ specific needs as it relates to the job. And be patient (not just with others but with yourself!). You may not be able to learn some of these skills overnight.
Lateral Opportunities
Growth does not necessarily mean a bump in pay. Sure, the extra cash is nice, but what else are you craving in your career? Are you looking to engage more with people? Are you wanting to get familiar with different systems and processes? Organizations and individuals should explore lateral movement as a viable growth option. Lateral movement can entail similar skillsets, or at least more of a healthy balance of new and learned skills. Employees could also explore details and temporary opportunities to expand their skillsets. Since these opportunities aren’t permanent, they allow for more safety and flexibility with learning new skills.
Feedback
Sometimes the Peter Principle can boil down to a lack of understanding of the skills needed for the job. As you begin a new position, establish a practice of constant feedback with your supervisor and your staff, if appropriate. Ask what their expectations are of you. Find out other things that are important to them and their style of work. Not sure how to start the conversation? I recommend checking out Candid Culture.
External Hiring
While I certainly encourage hiring internally where you can, sometimes it is more appropriate to look outside of the organization. If the skills needed for the position are more specialized, it may be more cost and time efficient to hire someone external. This suggestion really boils down to what is best for the organization. If you really want to stick with hiring internally, make sure to encourage the suggestions above and create a culture of learning, growth, and candid feedback.
Myranda Whitesides is a Human Capital Analyst for the Interior Business Center, the Department of Interior’s Shared Services Provider. She coordinates developmental opportunities for her peers such as mentoring, job shadowing, and training in topics like Crucial Conversations and DEIA. Myranda also volunteers for the Mile High Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), working with the chapter to provide educational content for Human Resources professionals in the Denver Metro area. Myranda also teaches a dance fitness class and enjoys playing open mic nights around Denver.
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