Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

I read a classic management text. It is as true today as it was in 1969.

When in college in the mid-1970s (yes, I am that old), an English professor spoke about the Peter Principle. This was a relatively new concept about how people rise to their level of incompetence. Work was accomplished by the many who had not yet reached that level. We chuckled and moved on. We were young and would never perpetuate the mistakes of our ancestors.

The book by Raymond Peter and Laurence Hull goes into much more depth than the once sentence summary given above. It is in the depth that the genius of the principle is found.

Here is a disclaimer or qualification:

I worked in the U.S. Federal government—the biggest hierarchy in the world—for over 25 years.

This book is true! It is a documentary, not a commentary.

I wished I had read the book in 1980. Then again, I would have dismissed it as humor as no one would participate in such nonsense. Well, I participated. In some ways I was able to avoid my level of incompetence by assuming that someone would notice me doing real work and reward me. I was wrong about the reward, but right about how to stay in a work-producing, competent place. Yes, there are some work-producing spots in the Federal government.

While reading, one thought stuck in my mind:

This book was written 45 years ago, but reads as if it were written 45 minutes ago.

Read it. Try to avoid the principle in your workplace.