THERE IS A HELL! - - - IT IS CALLED RETAIL RETAIL – DEAD END CAREER? | Page 13

RETAIL – DEAD END CAREER?
 The Peter Principle.

A 1968 book described this principle as the fact that in any hierarchy, every employee
tends to rise to his level of incompetence. It sounds like a joke, but makes total sense.
If Bob is a great marketer, he is soon promoted to senior marketer. If he does well,
he’s promoted to managing marketers. What happens now? If he is mediocre as a
manager, he can likely stay there forever. He may not like the fact he’s not getting
promoted anymore and doesn’t like being mediocre, but is afraid of going back down
the ladder, even though he might excel down there. He’s trapped. People who are
trapped feel insecure.

 They’re not authoritarian; they’re just insensitive or oblivious.
Would a Vulcan make a good manager? Not
really. He’d make smart choices, for sure,
but empathy is a huge part of what a
decent manager offers their team.
Managers are often faced with tough
decisions that will negatively affect people,
and they make the best choice they can.
But they forget to empathize with or explain
their decisions such that those negatively
affected by them understand. Or even
better, forget to involve those people in the
decision so they become participants and not victims. The failure to do this is a fast
way to earn a reputation as a jerk, even if you’re doing what’s best for the
team/company/world.

 Madly in love with themselves – Narcissism.

Perhaps their Mom doted on them too much as children, or they got picked on in high
school, whatever the reason, some people become infatuated with their power and fall
in love with themselves. They put themselves in the centre of everything because,
emotionally, they need to be. The hole in their ego is so big; nothing can fill it, despite
their pathological attempts to stuff bonuses, rewards, kudos and perks others deserve
more into their stash. Megalomania is tragedy. It’s a good sign a person