My manager promoted the worst person in the group

[undeterred]

Imagine you're working on a company project for 6 months. Half the group are highly skilled, highly paid outside contractors and half the group are highly skilled employees. No one in this group is making less than $60K annual. When crunch time comes and you are actually implementing a new database system, you really see which people shine and which people barely pull their weight. In this group there was one woman who managed to still work half time from home, never volunteered to do anything she wasn't assigned to, and just barely made an effort. I heard the comment: "Nobody really knows what X does, but we're pretty sure Y could do it in half an hour a day". In this group she would have been unanimously voted Least Valuable Player.

IT Manager leaves. Project Manager of the above project is promoted into it, leaving room for another position. Several of the highly skilled contractors apply for it. Instead Least Valuable Player is promoted... New manager has been told how others in the group feel about her performance and doesn't see it that way. :wtf:

[Darth_Kitten]

1. I bet if you watched them they have something going on.

the idiots seem to flourish in this world. It pisses me off. :(

[MichiganVote]

2. I'm thinking illicit sex, someone who makes the 'boss' look good,

or the project is about to be shit canned.

[undeterred]

3. Project is over, I'm sure there's no sex between these two

The open position changed from Project Manager to Business Analyst for Oracle. But I think he might have been intimidated by some of the highly skilled contractors, especially the women. So he picked the one person who is clearly less skilled than he is - instead of benefitting the whole group by hiring one of the superskilled people who really wanted the job.

He hired a mouse. She had a baby 3 years ago and worked something out about working halftime from home for a while - the company usually cuts some slack to women during the first year if their jobs allow it. But she really doesn't need to, and when she "works from home" she doesn't even hire a babysitter. So she is saving money that way, and clearly shes working less. Other people aren't allowed to "work from home".

Big mouse hires little mouse, I guess. I'm so disappointed.

[MichiganVote]

5. Yup, thought so. Hang in there.

[MichiganVote]

6. Dupe

[idgiehkt]

10. He can control her.

That's probably what it is about. Doesn't want to lose control or be upstaged. She might end up downsized in the end anyway.

:hug:

I have seen this kind of stuff my entire life. It sucks.

[undeterred]

16. you nailed it

and he cares about that more than the work

[Oeditpus Rex]

4. The Peter Principle works, man

The Peter Principle is a colloquial principle of hierarchiology, stated as "In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence." Formulated by Dr. Laurence J. Peter in his 1968 book of the same name, the Peter principle pertains to the level of competence of the human resources in a hierarchical organization. The principle explains the upward, downward, and lateral movement of personnel within a hierarchically organized system of ranks.

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

[bleedingheart]

21. that is it.

[graywarrior]

22. Yep, shit floats to the top in most cases.

[philosophie_en_rose]

7. It's clearly the Dilbert principle in action.

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

The Dilbert Principle refers to a 1990s satirical observation stating that companies tend to systematically promote their least-competent employees to management, in order to limit the amount of damage that they're capable of doing.

The term was coined by Scott Adams, an MBA graduate from U.C. Berkeley and creator of the Dilbert comic strip. Adams explained the principle in a 1995 Wall Street Journal article. Adams then expanded his study of the Dilbert Principle in a satirical 1996 book of the same name, which is required or recommended reading at some management and business programs. <1> <2> <3> <4> <5> In the book, Adams writes that, in terms of effectiveness, use of the Dilbert Principle is akin to a band of gorillas choosing an alpha-squirrel to lead them. The book has sold more than a million copies and was on the New York Times bestseller list for 43 weeks.

Although academics may reject the principle's veracity, noting that it is at odds with traditional human resources management techniques, it originated as a form of satire that addressed a much-discussed issue in the business world. The theory has since garnered some support from business and management. For example, Guy Kawasaki, formerly of Apple Computer, said: "There are two types of companies. Those that recognize that they are just like Dilbert and those that are also like Dilbert but don't know it yet."

The Dilbert Principle is a takeoff on the Peter Principle. The Peter Principle addresses the practice of hierarchical organizations (such as corporations and government agencies) to use promotions as a way to reward employees who demonstrate competence in their current position. It goes on to state that, due to this practice, a competent employee will eventually be promoted to, and remain at, a position at which he or she is incompetent. The Dilbert Principle, on the other hand, claims that incompetent employees are intentionally promoted to prevent them from doing harm (such as reducing product quality, offending customers, etc.). There is no reason that both Peter and Dilbert principles could not be active in a given organization—a disturbing prospect.

[ContraBass Black]

8. Why promote good workers out of the job they're doing well at?

Incompetence floats.

[Nicole]

9. Was it because she was the only employee who applied?

As a manager I could never promote a contractor over an employee, no matter how good they were. It was against company policy.

[undeterred]

11. well, thats another thing

Two of the best contractors were actually promised contract to hire and were both here for over a year. Before the old manager left in October he reassured both of them that they would be hired at the end of January. Apparently HR doesn't always know when managers make these agreements with contractors and companies and usually nothing is in writing. Two of these people were very disappointed that they were promised contract to hire, worked their butts off for a year, and then ended up empty handed. They're both leaving at the end of the week.

There is a general principle about promoting within, but its not a hard and fast rule. They advertised the position outside, and they had some good external applicants. I was truly shocked that Least Valuable Player had even applied for the position. I myself was brought in as contract to hire from the same contract agency as the two exceptional contractors (though I am in a different part of IT) and I would have been very upset if they had not hired me when that was promised to me.

[Nicole]

13. Yeah, that makes a difference.

If they were promised to be hired & weren't. I would be very upset in that scenario as well.

We had a strict policy on promoting within, no exceptions.

[Capn Sunshine]

12. Corporate lesson

I suggest you buy every Dilbert book ever published. All companies are fucked up. Hierarchical structures tend to promote management most similar to existing management. There's no justice and no rhyme or reason.

It's also an experience referred to as "dues"

Don't expect logic. That's like taking a cat hunting.

[Generic Brad]

14. What the hell is wrong with some managers?

Always take the most qualified and ambitious person. So what if they leave in a year or two for bigger or better things? By helping them advance you create a culture where people actually want to work for you. Success breeds more success.

Sorry you work for a short sighted bonehead.

[GOPisEvil]

15. The people who can do the work are too valuable to promote.

</corporate speak>

[undeterred]

17. Ah, I've figured out the real reason.

To the men in the department it was obvious...

Its the low rise pants which often reveal her "butt crack" and occasionally more. It really kept the team working hard.

Dress for success = dress like a slut, even in a coporate environment.

[av8rdave]

18. That happens way too often...in the military, we had a saying

"Fu#@ up, move up"

[Strawman]

19. Well, if she's that worthless, she'll make a good IT manager

[AllegroRondo]

20. You cant promote the people who actually know how to work

who would do the work, then?

Seriously, Ive seen this type of thinking from management before. You have two people applying for a promotion - one is a star player, knows your database inside and out, and the other can barely make it function. You CANT promote the first one, because then your database would be royally screwed up by person 2, who probably cant even teach a replacement for number 1 correctly.