The Peter Principle (9 page)

Compulsive Incompetence

While reviewing depth studies of a few cases of competence at the top levels of hierarchies, a remarkable psychological phenomenon presented itself to me and I will here describe it.

Summit Competence
is rare, but not completely unknown. In Chapter 1, I wrote, “Given enough time—and assuming the existence of enough ranks in the hierarchy—each employee rises to, and remains at, his level of incompetence.”

Victorious field marshals, successful school superintendents, competent company presidents and such persons have simply not
had time
to reach their levels of incompetence.

Alternatively, the emergence of a competent trade-union leader or university president simply shows that,
in that particular hierarchy, there are not enough ranks
for him to reach his level.

These people exhibit
Summit Competence.
2

I have observed that these summit competents are often not satisfied to remain in their position of competence. They cannot rise to a position of incompetence—they are already at the top—
so they have a strong tendency to sidestep into another hierarchy
—say from the army into industry, from politics into education, from show business into politics and so on—
and reach, in the new environment, that level of incompetence which they could not find in the old.
This is
Compulsive Incompetence.

Compulsive Incompetence File, Selected Cases

Macbeth, a successful military commander, became an incompetent king.

A. Hitler, a consummate politician, found his level of incompetence as a generalissimo.

Socrates was an incomparable teacher, but found his level of incompetence as a defense attorney.

Why Do They Do It?

“The job lacks challenge.”

This, or some variant of it, is the reason invariably given by summit competents at the time when they are considering the move which will eventually lead them to compulsive incompetence.

Need They Do It?

There is in fact a greater, more fascinating challenge in remaining below one’s level of incompetence. I shall discuss that point in a later chapter.

CHAPTER 10
Peter’s Spiral

“We all of us live too much in a circle.”

B. D
ISRAELI

I
POINTED OUT
in Chapter 9 that hierarchiology is not moralistic with regard to incompetence. Indeed, I must say that, in most cases of incompetence, there appears to be a definite
wish to be productive.
The employee
would be competent if he could.

Most incompetents realize, however dimly, that the collapse of the organization would leave them jobless, so they try to keep the hierarchy going.

Let me give an illustration.

Intra-Hierarchal File, Case No. 4

Health for Wealth

In twenty years at Perfect Pewter Piano Strings Inc., Mal D’Mahr had worked his way up from lead ingot handler to general manager. Shortly after occupying the chief executive office he suffered a series of health problems associated with high blood pressure and peptic ulcers. The company physician recommended that he slow down and learn to relax. The board of directors recommended that an assistant general manager be appointed to relieve Mal of some of the strain. Although both of these recommendations were well intentioned they failed to deal with the cause of the problem. Hierarchiologically Mal D’Mahr had been promoted beyond his physiological competence. As chief executive at P.P.P.S.I. he had to deal with and accommodate conflicting codes or values. He had to please the stockholders and board by making money. He had to please the customers by maintaining a high-quality product. He had to please the employees by paying good wages and by providing comfortable, secure working conditions. He had to please his community by fulfilling certain social and family responsibilities. In attempting to accommodate these conflicting codes he broke down physically. No increase in staff or advice about relaxing could reduce this requirement of the office of the chief executive.

Calculate the Unknown

The board’s recommendation was carried out and J. Smugly, a competent engineer and mathematical genius, was promoted to assistant general manager. Smugly, competent in dealing with things, was incompetent at dealing with people. He had no appropriate people-formulas to help him decide about personnel matters. Not wishing to act on incomplete data, he postponed personnel decisions until pressure became so great that he made unwise, snap decisions. Smugly reached his level of incompetence through social inadequacy. It was recommended that he be assisted through the appointment of a personnel manager.

Compassion Is Its Own Reward

Roly Koster was promoted to the position of personnel manager. A competent psychology student, he soon became so empathetic with his clients that he was perpetually on an emotional binge. When he listened to Smugly’s complaint about an inaccurate report from Miss Count, his sympathy was with the assistant general manager and he was filled with anger toward Miss Count for her carelessness. When he heard Miss Count’s story about Smugly’s cold, calculating, inhuman approach toward her and her colleagues he was brought to tears of sorrow and indignation at Smugly’s heartlessness. Roly achieved his level of incompetence through emotional inadequacy. To resolve some of the personnel problems it was decided to create a new position of personnel supervisor and to promote someone from the plant who had the confidence of the men.

Mind Over Matter

B. Willder was popular with the men and had distinguished himself as chairman of the social committee. Now as personnel supervisor he is required to see that the policy decisions of management are carried out. But, as he does not really understand the policy, B. Willder is ineffective in this role. He lacks the intellectual capacity to deal effectively with abstraction and therefore makes illogical decisions. He has reached his level of incompetence through mental inadequacy.

Incompetence Classified

I have reported this study, conducted at Perfect Pewter Piano Strings Inc., because it illustrates the four basic classes of incompetence.

Mal D’Mahr was promoted beyond his
physical competence.

J. Smugly was promoted beyond his
social competence.

Roly Koster was promoted beyond his
emotional competence.

B. Willder was promoted beyond his
mental competence.

A Vain Effort

This example, typical of many, shows that even a sincere attempt to relieve high-level incompetence may only produce multi-level incompetence. In such circumstances, staff accumulation is inevitable. Each time around
Peter’s Spiral,
the number of incompetents increases, and
still there is no improvement of efficiency.

The Mathematics of Incompetence

Incompetence plus incompetence equals incompetence.

CHAPTER 11
The Pathology of Success

“Troubles never come singly.”

I
T SHOULD BE
clear by now that when an employee reaches his level of incompetence, he can no longer do any useful work.

Incompetent, Yes! Idle, No!

This in no way suggests that the ultimate promotion suddenly changes the former worker into an idler. Not at all! In most cases he still
wants to work;
he still makes a great show of activity; he sometimes thinks he is working. Yet actually little that is useful is accomplished.

Sooner or later (usually sooner) these employees become aware of, and feel distressed at, their own unproductivity.

A Bold Step

Here we must venture into the field of medicine! I will describe the physical condition which has been alluded to earlier as the Final Placement Syndrome.

An Exhaustive Research Program

A number of medical doctors in general practice were asked:

       
1) “What physical conditions, if any, do you find to be most commonly associated with success?”
1

       
2) “What advice or treatment, if any, do you give to patients in the success-group?”

An Alarming Report (1)

On collating the doctors’ replies, I found that the following complaints from A to Z were common among their “successful” patients.

a) Peptic ulcers

b) Spastic colitis

c) Mucous colitis

d) High blood pressure

e) Constipation

f) Diarrhea

g) Frequent urination

h) Alcoholism

i) Overeating and obesity

j) Loss of appetite

k) Allergies

l) Hypertension

m) Muscle spasms

n) Insomnia

o) Chronic fatigue

p) Skipped heartbeats

q) Other cardiovascular complaints

r) Migraine headaches

s) Nausea and vomiting

t) Tender, painful abdomen

u) Dizziness

v) Dysmenorrhea

w) Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

x) Excessive sweating of hands, feet, armpits or other areas

y) Nervous dermatitis

z) Sexual impotence

All of these are typical “success” complaints, and may occur without the existence of organic disease.

I saw—and by now you will be able to see—that such symptoms indicate the constitutional incompetence of the patients for the level of responsibility they have attained.

A C
ASE
S
TUDY
I
N
D
EPTH
For example, T. Throbmore, vice-president in charge of sales of Clacklow Office Machine Company, is frequently prevented from attending the company’s weekly executive meeting by a migraine headache that occurs fairly regularly on Monday afternoons at 1:30
P.M.

D
EPTH
S
TUDY
O
F
A
NOTHER
C
ASE
Because of the delicate condition of his heart, C. R. Diack, president of Grindley Gear and Cog Ltd., is permanently shielded by his staff from any news that might excite or irritate him. He has no real control over the company’s affairs. His main function is to read glowing reports of its progress at annual meetings.

N
OTE
T
HIS
I
MPORTANT
D
EFINITION
The ailments I have named, usually occurring in combinations of two or more, constitute the Final Placement Syndrome.
2

An Alarming Report (2)

Unfortunately, the medical profession has so far failed to recognize the existence of the Final Placement Syndrome!
In fact, that profession has displayed a frigid hostility toward my application of hierarchiology to the pseudo-science of diagnostics. However, truth will out! Time and the increasingly tumultuous social order inevitably will bring enlightenment.

Three Medical Errors (a)

Final Placement Syndrome patients often rationalize the situation: they claim that their occupational incompetence is the result of their physical ailments. “If only I could get rid of these headaches, I could concentrate on my work.”

Or “If only I could get my digestion fixed up . . .”

Or “If I could kick the booze . . .”

Or “If I could get just one good night’s sleep . . .”

Some medical men, my survey reveals, accept this rationalization at face value, and attack the physical symptoms without any search for their cause.

This attack is made by medication or surgery, either of which may give temporary,
but only temporary, relief.
The patient cannot be drugged into competence and there is no tumor of incompetence which can be removed by a stroke of the scalpel.
Good advice
is equally ineffective.

“Take it easy.”

“Don’t work so hard.”

“Learn to relax.”

Such soothing suggestions are useless. Many F.P.S. patients feel anxious because they know quite well that they are doing very little useful work. They are unlikely to follow any suggestion that they should do still less.

Another futile approach is that of
the friendly philosopher:

“Stop trying to solve all the world’s problems.”

“Everybody has troubles. You’re no worse off than lots of other people.”

“You have to expect some of these problems at your age.”

Few F.P.S. patients are susceptible to such cracker-barrel wisdom. Most of them are quite self-centered: they show little interest in philosophy or in other people’s problems. They are only trying to solve the problems of their jobs.

Threats are often employed:

“If you carry on like this, you will end up in the hospital.”

“Unless you slow down, you’re going to have a really serious attack.”

This is futile. The patient cannot help but “carry on like this.” The only thing that would change his way of life would be a promotion, and he will not get that, because he has reached his level.

Another much-used line of advice is the
exhortation to self-denial.

“Go on a diet.”

“Cut down on your drinking.”

“Stop smoking.”

“Give up night life.”

“Curb your sex life.”

This is usually ineffective. The F.P.S. patient is already depressed because he can take no pleasure in his work. Why should he give up the few pleasures he has outside of work?

Moreover, many men feel that there is a certain aura of competence associated with heavy indulgence in bodily pleasures. It is reflected in such phrases as “He has a
wonderful
appetite,” “He’s a
great
ladies’ man,” and “He can hold his liquor.” Such praise is doubly sweet to the man who has little else to be praised for; he will be reluctant to give it up.

Three Medical Errors (b)

A second group of physicians, finding nothing organically wrong with an F.P.S. patient, will try to persuade him that
his symptoms do not exist!

“There’s really nothing wrong with you. Just take these tranquillizers.”

“Get your mind off yourself. These symptoms are only imaginary. It’s your nerves.”

Such advice, of course, produces no lasting improvement. The patient
knows that he is suffering,
whether the physician will admit it or not.

A common result is that the patient loses faith in the physician, and runs to another one, seeking someone who “understands his case” better. He may lose faith altogether in orthodox medicine and start consulting pseudo-medical practitioners.

Three Medical Errors (c)

After medication and surgery have failed, psychotherapy is sometimes tried. It seldom succeeds, because it can have no effect on the root cause of the F.P.S., which is the patient’s vocational incompetence.

A Smattering of Sense

The only treatment, my survey shows, which gives any relief for the F.P.S. is distraction therapy.

“Learn to play bridge.”

“Start a stamp collection.”

“Take up gardening.”

“Learn barbecue cookery.”

“Paint pictures by numbers.”

Typically, the doctor senses the patient’s copelessness with regard to his job, and so tries to divert his attention to something that he can cope with.

A
N
I
LLUMINATING
C
ASE
H
ISTORY
W. Lushmoor, a department-store executive, spent every afternoon at his club, rather than return to his office. An advanced F.P.S. case, Lushmoor was a near-alcoholic, had survived two mild coronary attacks, was grossly overweight and chronically dyspeptic.

On his physician’s advice, he took up golf. He became obsessed by the game, devoted all his afternoons and most of his energy to it, and was making rapid progress until he suffered a fatal stroke while driving his electric golf cart.

The point is that, although Lushmoor’s symptoms were not relieved, he had been transformed from an F.P.S. case in relation to his job—since he no longer worried about the job—to a mere Pseudo-Achievement Syndrome case in relation to golf! The treatment was therefore successful.

Physicians who give this sort of advice do seem to understand, even though dimly, the pathogenic role of incompetence; they try to give the patient a feeling of competence in some non-occupational field.

A Sinister Sign

One more point about the Final Placement Syndrome: it has an ever-increasing sociological importance, because its component ailments have acquired high status value. An F.P.S. patient will boast of his symptoms; he will show a perverse kind of competence in developing a bigger ulcer or a more severe heart attack than any of his friends. In fact, so high is the status value of the F.P.S. that some employees who have none of its ailments will actually simulate them, to create the impression that they have achieved final placement.