Do You Really Want that Promotion?

It’s been called the Peter Principle where we climb the corporate ladder to our level of incompetence. Or it might just be the square peg in the round hole – we just don’t fit.

A piece on the website Strategy + Business asks the question of whether or not a person should consider a promotion in the context of COVID and how it has changed the world of working.  We all know the classic story of the departing sales manager being replaced by the top salesperson. Logical choice – the top performer gets promoted.

But sales excellence may not be the best toolset for management I the same way promoting a high performing lineman to quarterback likely won’t work as the company loses its top sales person and ends up with a poor manager….the worst of both worlds.

Success in the commercial world is often based on an ‘up or out’ culture where we strive to climb the ladder but COVID has amplified a contrarian opinion….that an employee had better want the job, really want the job, not the title.