Everyone here moves towards to this principle : sooner or later. I would like your inputs about the Peter principle, either philosophic or practicle advices.
1- experienced examples?
2- How not falling into the trap?
3- how to get out ?
and finally perhaps the most important
4- how to spot a team's member who falls under the Peter principle? Saving Changes...
Denise CantyAgile Coach, Life Coach, Author, Senior Project-Program Manager| Cenden CompanyWashington, Dc, United States
I would tend to disagree somewhat with the Peter Principle which states that "In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence ... in time every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties ... Work is accomplished by those employees who have not yet reached their level of incompetence."
This is the first time that I have heard of this principle but I feel that competent people can "learn" and will never "rise to their level of incompetence".
If one has the capability to learn, then its my belief that incompetence will never come into play. Just my two cents. Saving Changes...
Philosophically speaking, the Peter principle could be interesting for each of us just by helping us to question or challenge ourselves on our capacities and gives us a good point of view of where are our limits in specific areas. A limit can be, of course , push. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
I agree with Denise. If you learned to grow into a new position, you can continue to learn and grow in the directions you choose, including upwards.
I think the principle was pronounced at a time when people's ability and resources to learn and grow were a lot more limited that what we have today. Saving Changes...
I'm not sure that the real question is to be agree or not with the Peter principle but just keeping it in mind that it exists and be a part of a global explanation of delay or failures in PM.
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1 reply by Denise Canty
Aug 05, 2016 2:39 PM
Denise Canty
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I can't see in any sense where this principle can ever be a global explanation of failures or delays in PM. I feel that this concept is very irrelevant in today's times as previously mentioned by Stephane' (from my understanding) suggested.
Just to comments Stéphane's last sentence : I also think that the idea of Peter principle evolves with its time and as you said, and you're right, people's ability and resources are quite infinity now due to networks but I'm not completely convinced that our mind evolves at the same rapidity. We must should integrate the ability to have any kind for information in our own limitations. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Define what your limitations are today, Guillaume. Come back again in a year's time, and you will find that those "limitations" have moved.
Don't get me wrong, I agree that often we are not ready for the next level. Usually, we need to grow in a specific area before we can take on a new role, a new responsibility, or even a new mindset. Saving Changes...
Denise CantyAgile Coach, Life Coach, Author, Senior Project-Program Manager| Cenden CompanyWashington, Dc, United States
Aug 05, 2016 2:07 PM
Replying to Guillaume Bouvet
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I'm not sure that the real question is to be agree or not with the Peter principle but just keeping it in mind that it exists and be a part of a global explanation of delay or failures in PM.
I can't see in any sense where this principle can ever be a global explanation of failures or delays in PM. I feel that this concept is very irrelevant in today's times as previously mentioned by Stephane' (from my understanding) suggested. Saving Changes...
haha different points, different way-of-thinking, it is a discussion :-) Peter principle is a concept and concept evolves with societies.
I think "limitations" are linked with the number of people of team and evolve too. As you said "Come back again in a year's time, and you will find that those "limitations" have moved".
So i think the term i should use is the "variance of limitation", which should be statistically more relevant. It's just a metaphor of course.
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1 reply by Stéphane Parent
Aug 05, 2016 3:08 PM
Stéphane Parent
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Aren't you glad you started a new discussion on Peter's principle? grin
I think this principle applies to many organizations. Smart organizations, however, can plan to avoid it as much as possible. But going back to the point whether it can be an explanation of some delays and failures in projects, yes it can. A PM can identify this as a risk that few of the human resources in a project might not be competent enough for their role in the organization, hence their role in the project. I think that definitely can affect the projects negatively. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Aug 05, 2016 2:48 PM
Replying to Guillaume Bouvet
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haha different points, different way-of-thinking, it is a discussion :-) Peter principle is a concept and concept evolves with societies.
I think "limitations" are linked with the number of people of team and evolve too. As you said "Come back again in a year's time, and you will find that those "limitations" have moved".
So i think the term i should use is the "variance of limitation", which should be statistically more relevant. It's just a metaphor of course.
Aren't you glad you started a new discussion on Peter's principle? grin Saving Changes...
