Why is it many times that it is not necessarily the smartest and/or the best emp

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   gmwilliamsposted 12 years ago

   Why is it many times that it is not necessarily the smartest and/or the best employee who
   
   gets promoted in corporations/companies/organizations?

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   WhydThatHappenposted 12 years ago

   because as a standalone, the employee might be the best employee eligible for the job, but really they will be stepping up into a team effort- where their skill set could already be largely covered by other members of the team. Whereas the less outstanding employee may have a specific quality that balances out the team in a good way.
   
   Sometimes it is about luck or being in the right place at the right time- and not about bad judgement or lack of recognition

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   Sophia Angeliqueposted 12 years ago

   Number of factors.
   
   The first is people skills. It is perceived by people who are not task orientated that people skills are superior. They are not. They have actually made a mess of government, business, and all sorts of things. People skilled people know how to brown nose - they don't necessarily know how to do a job.
   
   The second is personal preference. Sometimes the boss just likes one person more than the other.
   
   The third is office politics - where the person who has the most power over others is seen as the better choice.

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      gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is so rife these days.    I know firsthand of this.   There was a man on my last job who was prodigiously intelligent but was never promoted; however, a person who was considered dumb was constantly promoted.   People skills are so overrated!

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   tussinposted 12 years ago

   Sophia Angelique offers a great analysis.  Office politics also comes into play. People who are shrewd enough to never display their opinions on any matter are often promoted because they seem like the safe choice--palatable to managment and non-management alike. I know that being bland has helped me in many situations.

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      AliceFSpencerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's sad to say I graduated from college got promoted but my supervisor and I could not work together. I took a step back changed the way I disagreed and Iv'e been getting what I want now. Being bland does help sometime. The dumb ones don't last ....

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      gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I know one woman like that at my old job.   Each time she wrote an analysis, she always went to the supervisor to ask his thoughts on it.   She was what one would call, agreeable to the max.   She got the promotions.   She never stated her opinion!

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   Stephen Govoniposted 12 years ago

   Sophia hit the nail on the head.  There can be other factors to consider as well.
   
   In my last corporate job my direct boss quickly got promoted to COO when I joined the firm.  As the only employee under him, it was clearly due to my contribution to our team.
   
   The CEO never rewarded me and always seemed standoffish.  Sometimes he would ignore my point of view in a meeting or reward other less capable employees with a role I had already been working towards.  I can't say if I intimated him or irritated him.  When I went to leave my direct boss, the now COO, admitted he had been holding me back because he didn't think I deserved it.  He claimed he never planned on rewarding me.  Go figure.
   
   People often let their own insecurities rule their emotions and their careers.  It isn't about rewarding the best and brightest or the employee that contributes the most.  It's often about rewarding the least threatening person.

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