Pitfalls of the 'Peter Principle'
Our Mission
To present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men and to develop Christian business and professional men to carry out the Great Commission.
1 Chronicles 28-9-10 commands, Solomon my son, get to know well your father’s God; serve Him with a whole heart and eager mind, for GOD examines every heart and sees through every motive. If you seek Him, He’ll make sure you find Him, but if you abandon Him, He’ll leave you for good. Look sharp now! GOD has chosen you to build His holy house. Be brave, determined! And do it!
This is Old Testament language to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as our self by going and making disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded us, beginning with our own household.
The effort is to be diligent. We must overcome our fear of men through our love for God. We must believe that we will be held accountable to God for the lives we live and expect to be measured primarily upon our performance to complete His objective for our lives. His objective is the coming of His kingdom upon the earth as it is in heaven.
What will keep us from successfully building His Church in both its breadth and depth during our lifetime? Focusing upon personal accomplishments that make our lives easier and give us greater pleasure instead of making every effort to know God and do His will. These pleasures may be adventures, approval from others or power over others but in the end, none of them lead to doing God’s work for God’s glory in the way God prescribed.
If God is indeed God, the Lord and Judge of all, and if we have indeed bowed the knee and confessed Jesus as Lord, then we must be about passionately pursuing the Great Commandment by fulfilling the Great Commission. This work is to begin in our homes with parents teaching their children the way they are to go so that when they are old they will not depart from it. Loving God by loving our neighbor into His kingdom, must then extend into the neighborhood, the office and the classroom if we are to stand before God acceptable, workman who are unashamed.
His Opportunities
- It’s back – Monday Manna Live – weekdays, Monday mornings, 9.55am HERE
- Business Owners, are you looking for a private group of fellow business owners for encouragement, support, and advice? CBMC offers such a group. Contact Mike at mwinter@cbmc.com for more information
- December 18th the annual CBMC Getting to Know God Better luncheon seminar will be presented. This event will help you develop greater intimacy with God as you develop greater consistency with God. We have a proven and effective strategy for making this happen. More information and Register HERE
- Invest in CBMC. GIVE today.
CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996 www.lansing.cbmc.com
MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
A Publication of CBMC International
December 3, 2018
Pitfalls of The ‘Peter Principle’
by Rick Boxx
Years ago, the business world became captivated by a book called The Peter Principle, authored by Dr. Laurence J. Peter. The book focused on a common pitfall of leadership advancement: If we continually promote high performers, we will eventually advance them to a level of incompetence. In other words, success in one level of endeavor does not guarantee success in levels of greater authority and responsibility.
Even though Dr. Peter’s book was first published more than 40 years ago, this “Peter Principle” continues being practiced today, often to the detriment of individuals and the organizations that employ them. According to the Harvard Business Review, researchers Alan Benson and Kelly Shue tested this theory by studying how well sales people performed when promoted to sales management positions.
Benson and Shue discovered high-performing salespeople often were not good managers, affirming the Peter Principle. When offered a promotion, some people accept it for the additional compensation that comes with it. Or they take the new position out of pride, desiring status or authority that goes with it, rather than to humbly and honestly consider their skill sets, evaluating whether the proposed role would be the best fit for them. Failing to perceive they could become “square pegs” struggling to fit into “round holes” can lead to unnecessary failure.
For instance, people whose persuasive and people skills enable them to excel in sales might lack the necessary leadership or administrative skills to effectively handle the challenges of managing and directing others. Such a promotion could prove to be more of a penalty than a reward.
The consequences of moving high performers into very different new roles are significant on several levels. For a company, ideally every individual would be situated in positions where they can both excel and thrive. The adage about a chain being only as strong as its weakest link applies to people being promoted beyond their capabilities.
In sports, not all stellar athletes are suited to experience equal success as managers, coaches or sports executives. Similarly, promoting someone to a role that requires different skills and gifts can prove frustrating for everyone. Some individuals may find great joy and fulfillment in their current position, but become miserable in another role for which they are ill-suited. At the same time, those assigned to report to them could become stifled in their own productivity.
The Bible offers insight into how to avoid this dilemma: Seek wisdom to discern how best to utilize people’s talents and abilities. Effective leaders learn to understand the people who work for them – their skills, interests, goals and limitations. Advancement decisions should be made with all of those factors in mind.“Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds” (Proverbs 27:23).
Do not let pride or ambition misdirect your career. Without question, excellence should be recognized and rewarded. “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29). However, ambition and the desire for recognition can lead to poor career decisions. Proverbs 29:23 teaches,“A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.”
If you desire honor for your work, concentrate on what you do best and ask your company to reward your successes appropriately.
Copyright 2018, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx,” a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To learn more visitwww.unconventionalbusiness.org. His latest book and inspiration for their new ministry name, Unconventional Business,provides “Five Keys to Growing a Business God’s Way.”
MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
A Publication of CBMC International
December 3, 2018
Reflection/Discussion Questions
- When you hear the term “Peter Principle,” what comes to your mind?
- Have you seen this Peter Principle in action during your work experience? Has it ever directly affected you, or people with whom you have worked? Explain your answer.
- What are some of the consequences of promoting people “to their levels of incompetence”? Or to state it a bit more kindly, beyond their levels of competence?
- How can a good leader discern whether a high performer in the company is suited to receive a promotion, or should just be recognized and rewarded for their work and remain in the same position? Similarly, how can someone honestly evaluate whether they should accept a promotion if offered, when they are highly effective in the work they are currently doing?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Proverbs 11:2, 12:9, 15:33, 16:18; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996 lansing.cbmc.com